Sen. Josh Hawley Demands Criminal Investigation into Minnesota AG Keith Ellison Over Links to Massive Pandemic Fraud Scheme
U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) has formally called for a criminal investigation into Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, accusing the state’s top prosecutor of aiding individuals central to the massive “Feeding Our Future” fraud scandal. The demand came during a contentious Senate hearing where Hawley confronted Ellison regarding his office’s regulatory conduct and subsequent campaign contributions.
The confrontation centered on allegations that Ellison’s office intervened to assist the non-profit Feeding Our Future, which is at the heart of a $250 million scheme to defraud federal child nutrition programs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hawley scrutinized a timeline of events, alleging that Ellison provided favorable legal assistance to the group shortly before receiving financial support from its associates.
“You took $10,000 from them just nine days later!” Hawley charged during the exchange. The Senator argued that the proximity of the regulatory assistance to the campaign donation warrants a federal probe to determine if a quid pro quo arrangement existed. Hawley insisted that Ellison “helped people accused of defrauding” the government, suggesting that the Attorney General prioritized political contributions over oversight.
The Feeding Our Future scandal is currently recognized as one of the largest pandemic-related fraud cases in the United States. Federal prosecutors allege that the organization claimed reimbursement for millions of meals that were never served to children, using the funds to purchase luxury cars, real estate, and vacations. Dozens of individuals have been indicted in connection with the scheme.
Attorney General Ellison has firmly rejected the Senator’s accusations, characterizing the line of questioning as a partisan attempt to distort the record. In his defense, Ellison and his supporters emphasize that the Minnesota Department of Education, represented by the AG’s office, was the entity that originally flagged the suspicious payouts to the FBI, effectively triggering the federal investigation.
Regarding the specific financial allegations, Ellison’s campaign has previously addressed the contributions from individuals linked to the scandal. Officials state that once the indictments were unsealed and the fraud was made public, the campaign donated the contributions in question to charity. Ellison maintains that his office acted within the bounds of the law and that the procedural moves made regarding the non-profit were standard administrative actions, not attempts to shield fraudsters.
Despite these defenses, Senator Hawley continues to press for an independent criminal probe, arguing that the timeline of events and the flow of money require external scrutiny beyond the current federal fraud cases.
