Aimee Bock case: Ilhan Omar denies knowledge of $250 million scheme
Rep. Ilhan Omar said any claim that she knew about the Feeding Our Future scheme is “flat-out false” while addressing renewed questions tied to Aimee Bock and the $250 million fraud case. In a written statement to Digital on Wednesday, Omar said she immediately pressed the USDA when the fraud surfaced.
“The MEALS Act was signed into law by President Trump and passed with bipartisan support as part of a broader legislative package,” Omar said, adding that “Trump’s USDA Secretary set the regulatory framework during the rollout of the program.”
Omar statement on Aimee Bock
Omar said, “Any claim that I had knowledge of this scheme is flat-out false.” She also said, “As I stated from the beginning, stealing millions of dollars under the guise of feeding hungry children to bankroll lavish lifestyles and extravagant expenses is reprehensible,” and added, “I’m grateful that Aimee Bock and every individual involved in this abhorrent scheme are being held accountable for defrauding taxpayers and betraying vulnerable children.”
Her statement came as she faces a new House Ethics Committee investigation into her finances after a change in her financial disclosures cut her family’s reported wealth from up to $30 million to less than $100,000. Minnesota State Representative Kristin Robbins demanded answers from Omar as scrutiny over the Minnesota case continued.
Minnesota House report
Last week, the Minnesota House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Committee released its final report. The report said Omar’s MEALS Act, implemented into the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, “took the guardrails off” federal nutrition programs by allowing for-profit restaurants to participate and permitting “grab-and-go” service.
The same report accused Gov. Tim Walz’s administration of fostering a “culture of tolerance” that allowed fraudsters to steal billions in taxpayer dollars overall. It also said the committee invited Omar to testify about what she knew, but she never responded, and Democrats blocked an effort to subpoena information from her.
USDA questions ahead
Omar said she sent a letter to the USDA secretary demanding answers and accountability when the fraud came to light. Her new statement pushes the dispute back onto the rollout of the MEALS Act and the people now facing accountability in the Minnesota case, including Bock.
