The Minnesota House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Policy Committee invited Representative Ilhan Omar to testify at a hearing on Tuesday. However, according to the committee’s chair, Kristin Robbins, the congresswoman “completely ghosted” lawmakers and did not attend.
Minnesota Republicans examining alleged large-scale fraud in the state say they are looking into whether Omar may have connections to the COVID-era Feeding Our Future scheme, which authorities claim involved more than $250 million in misused taxpayer funds.
Robbins followed up by sending Omar a letter on Wednesday, first reported by Fox News, expressing frustration over her absence. The letter stated that both the committee and Minnesota residents were “disappointed” she did not appear.
In the April 22 letter, Robbins formally criticized Omar for missing the scheduled hearing and requested a wide range of documents tied to the Feeding Our Future investigation, which has drawn national scrutiny in recent months.
“Minnesotans and the Members of the House Fraud Prevention & State Oversight Committee were disappointed that you failed to appear before our committee to answer questions,” Robbins wrote in the letter, obtained by Fox News Digital, referencing Omar’s absence from a hearing centered on the MEALS Act, a federal COVID-19 relief bill passed in 2020 and sponsored by Omar.
Although Omar did not attend, Robbins said the committee is still seeking answers and is now formally requesting records from her office, along with responses to several questions outlined in the letter.
Among the materials requested are communications detailing how Omar advocated for expanded access to federal child nutrition programs. This includes emails, text messages, and records of meetings with the Minnesota Department of Education and constituents.
The request also focuses on Omar’s public promotion of a Minneapolis restaurant later linked to the program. Robbins pointed to a Somali-language television appearance in which Omar highlighted Safari Restaurant as a meal distribution site and asked for all related communications concerning the video and the restaurant’s involvement.
Footage of that appearance was shown during Tuesday’s hearing as lawmakers reviewed possible links between Omar and individuals in Minneapolis’s Somali community who have been associated with the alleged fraud.