A Minnesota lawmaker is pushing a key House committee to subpoena Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) due to her unwillingness to assist with an investigation into potential connections to Somali scammers, who allegedly defrauded Twin Cities taxpayers to the tune of $250 million.
State Rep. Kristin Robbins, a Republican and chair of the Minnesota House Oversight Investigation Committee, reached out to House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) with a request to compel Omar to hand over “correspondence between defendants and staff” that her committee has linked to the alleged fraud.
Robbins pointed out various documented connections Omar has with individuals involved in the Feeding Our Future case. For instance, she mentioned a campaign party hosted in 2018 at a local restaurant—Safari—and Omar’s involvement in a video promoting the MEALS Act filmed at the same venue.
She also referenced the federal case of *United States v. Bock*, noting that numerous text and email exchanges from Rep. Omar’s office to the defendants were part of trial exhibits, and that Omar had declined requests for information and interviews.
“While we can’t compel Rep. Omar to provide her communications, we do respectfully ask the House Oversight Committee to think about issuing a subpoena for this information,” Robbins stated.
She emphasized the importance of understanding the origins of what is considered the largest coronavirus-related fraud scandal by obtaining relevant documents regarding interactions between Omar’s staff and the defendants involved.
The draft subpoena she submitted seeks internal records tied to the Minnesota Department of Education’s food program, communications with Safari restaurant owners and staff, as well as exchanges involving Omar’s former staffer, Guhad Hashi Said.
Said had a role in Omar’s 2018 and 2020 campaigns, focusing on voter mobilization within the Somali community. He confessed to conspiracy charges in August 2025 related to defrauding taxpayers through a fictitious food center claiming to provide meals to needy children.
Robbins’ planned subpoena also aims to obtain emails between a Feeding Our Future defendant, Amy Bock, and Omar’s ex-regional representative, Natasha Rice, as well as “videos aired on Somali television” featuring Omar discussing meal provisions at Safari restaurants.
The Meals on Wheels Act, formed as part of a March 2020 initiative that included coronavirus relief, was criticized for removing essential safeguards in the federal school nutrition program, allowing restaurants to take part.
Robbins had previously attempted to issue her own subpoena to Omar but faced resistance, with the committee voting along party lines against it.
A spokesperson for Comer has not responded promptly to a request for comments, but previously indicated that he is reviewing a potential subpoena connected to Omar’s rapid increase in net worth, which, according to disclosures, reached nearly $30 million in 2024.
The Minnesota Democratic Party claimed that accounting “discrepancies” led to the inflated figure, asserting after amended disclosures that Omar “is not a billionaire.”
Additionally, claims have been made by President Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance suggesting possible immigration fraud concerning Omar’s marriage, which she dismissed as a “pathological” attack on her character.
It appears that Omar’s representatives have yet to respond to requests for comments.
