Minnesota ‘Squad’ Rep. Ilhan Omar knew about $250M COVID meal fraud, scheme ‘mastermind’ claims in jailhouse interview
Aimee Bock, convicted in a $250 million COVID meal fraud scheme in Minnesota, claims Rep. Ilhan Omar was aware of the fraud and helped enable it by pushing for looser oversight of federal nutrition programs. Bock, who led the nonprofit Feeding Our Future, alleged Omar's office assisted with securing waivers that allowed restaurants to participate without standard inspections. Omar has not been charged, but her name appeared in court documents and she faces scrutiny over her ties to implicated businesses and a sudden increase in personal wealth.
- ▪Aimee Bock, founder of Feeding Our Future, was convicted in March 2025 of conspiracy, bribery, and wire fraud in a $250 million pandemic nutrition program scam.
- ▪Bock claims Rep. Ilhan Omar knew about the fraud and helped sustain it by advocating for USDA waivers that reduced oversight of meal programs.
- ▪Omar's name came up six times in court exhibits, and she promoted Safari restaurant, a major fraud participant, in a 2020 video.
- ▪Safari restaurant's owner, Salim Said, was convicted of stealing $16 million, the largest individual sum in the scheme.
- ▪Omar's net worth reportedly rose to $30 million in 2024, which she attributed to an accounting error, amid growing scrutiny of her connections to the program.
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US News exclusive Minnesota ‘Squad’ Rep. Ilhan Omar knew about $250M COVID meal fraud, scheme ‘mastermind’ claims in jailhouse interview By Gabrielle Fahmy Published May 16, 2026, 2:33 p.m. ET The Minnesota “mastermind” of the state’s massive COVID meal fraud claims “Squad” Rep. Ilhan Omar was in on the $250 million scam. Aimee Bock, founder of nonprofit Feeding Our Future, was convicted in March 2025 of conspiracy, bribery and wire fraud for allegedly helping restaurant owners file fake or inflated claims during the pandemic to steal millions in child nutrition funds from the government. She spoke to The Post by video call this week from Sherburne County Jail, where she is awaiting sentencing.
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