Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is under renewed scrutiny following audio recordings from a 2021 meeting with members of the Somali community, who are set to be sentenced for defrauding taxpayers out of millions.
The recordings, recently acquired, feature these individuals asking Ellison for financial assistance, later shifting the conversation to campaign contributions.
“The only way to protect what we have is to throw ourselves into the political arena. Vote where we need to. But most importantly, put our money in the right places. And support candidates who fight to protect our interests,” one community member stated.
Ellison responded affirmatively to the sentiment.
He has, however, denied any wrongdoing related to the recording, asserting that he was unaware of the fraudulent activities during that meeting. In an op-ed from April, he stated, “I met with people I didn’t know in good faith, and some of them did bad things. I did nothing for them and took nothing from them.”
While it’s true that Ellison received campaign donations from some of the convicted individuals, he subsequently returned those funds after their convictions, as noted by the American Experiment Center.
The recordings came to light through Kenneth Udoiboku, a Minnesota attorney who represents Amy Bock, one of many individuals convicted in the $250 million “Feeding our Future” scheme. Udoiboku insists that state leaders, including Ellison and Governor Tim Walz, must be held accountable.
“I want someone in the state to look at this, I don’t care if it’s the governor or the attorney general. I want someone to be held accountable,” he expressed in a Fox News interview.
He went on to point out, “Mr. Ellison, the department your agency represents has some responsibility. I like Mr. Walz, but he didn’t take responsibility on behalf of the agency. The onus is on him. At worst, he should have fired the commissioner. He should have fired the head of the food program or someone.”
In related news, Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) intends to testify about these 2021 recordings during a upcoming House oversight hearing.
