Minnesota: Feeding Our Future founder claims Ilhan Omar knew about $250 million fraud linked to meal program during pandemic

Aimee Bock, founder of the nonprofit organization Feeding Our Future and convicted as the primary perpetrator of the largest fraud of federal funds during the pandemic in Minnesota, claims Rep. Ilhan Omar knew about the multimillion-dollar scheme.

In an exclusive interview with The New York Post conducted from the Sherburne County Jail where she awaits sentencing, Bock said she "struggle[s] to believe" that Omar did not know about the irregularities that allowed the $250 million fraud in meals for low-income children.

Numerous members of Minnesota's Somali community were recently found guilty of defrauding the State Department of Education by inflating the number of meals served to vulnerable children at the height of the pandemic.

The waivers that fueled the scam

In March 2020, Omar introduced the MEALS Act, which allowed federal authorities to grant exemptions to the usual inspection requirements on school nutrition programs during a health emergency.

According to Bock, Omar would personally intervene when the waivers ran out, allowing the fraud to continue. "There had been a couple times early on that there were some gaps – a waiver would be set to expire on maybe the 15th of a month, and then the renewal didn’t kick in until the 1st." She added that there were many people who had contacted Omar's office and her staff, "I presume her personally," to resolve "some of those gaps with the waivers."

The congresswoman even recorded a promotional video at the Safari restaurant, one of the main ones involved in the fraud scheme. In the video, she highlighted that the venue allegedly served 2,300 meals a day to children and families. Months later, the same restaurant went on to claim 5,000 meals a day. Its co-owner, Salim Said, was convicted of defrauding the government of $16 million.

According to The New York Post, Omar's name appeared at least six times in emails and messages submitted as court exhibits during Bock's 2025 federal trial. The Feeding Our Future founder claimed the exchanges with the congresswoman discussed helping with waivers, after the organization contacted the representative's office.

Bock pleaded not guilty to knowingly participating in the fraud scheme and maintains that she tried to alert state authorities about suspicious restaurants. However, she says the responses were lukewarm. 

In one of the emails reviewed by The New York Post, the Minnesota Department of Education responded that it "takes no position" on possible fraud, after Bock reported St. Paul's House of Refuge for claiming it served 21,000 meals a day.

Republicans take aim at Walz, Ellison and Omar

A Minnesota legislative committee dedicated to investigating fraud recently concluded that Omar, along with Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison, played "critical roles" in creating the conditions that enabled the scheme. The committee has asked Congress to subpoena the congresswoman to turn over her communications related to the case.

So far, Ilhan Omar has not been charged with any crime. Her office did not respond to requests for comment on Bock's statements.

The Feeding Our Future founder faces a possible sentence of up to 100 years in prison, and the controversy over who knew what continues to grow.