A Minnesota whistleblower who exposed a massive $250 million COVID fraud scheme is demanding Rep. Ilhan Omar be forced to testify, claiming the congresswoman’s connections to convicted fraudsters raise serious questions about her knowledge of the criminal operation.

Demoted After Exposing Fraud

Faye Benowitz, a Minnesota Department of Health Services employee, was among the first to sound alarms about rampant fraud in federal feeding programs as early as 2019. She testified before a Senate Committee this week, revealing she was demoted after reporting the scheme and called racist by superiors who launched a smear campaign against her. The contract specialist lead, who holds nine years of college education, now spends her days redacting documents with black marks.

Benowitz pointed to Omar’s 2020 appearance on television serving meals at Safari restaurant in Minneapolis. The restaurant’s owner, Salim Said, was later convicted of defrauding the government of $16 million—the highest individual sum in the Feeding Our Future scheme. Benowitz questioned how Omar could have been completely unaware of the fraud occurring at a location where she made public appearances promoting the feeding program.

Audio Recording Links Omar to Program Growth

A newly obtained audio clip reveals convicted fraudster Ikram Mohamed directly crediting Rep. Omar with the explosive growth of the fraudulent meals program during the pandemic. The recording captured a December 2021 meeting between Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and a group that included Somali fraudsters who were simultaneously pledging campaign donations to Ellison while complaining about state funding cuts to their fraudulent operations.

Mohamed complained that Minnesota’s Department of Education claimed the program grew too fast. When Ellison suggested the action might not be malicious, Mohamed insisted it was and accused officials of racism. The fraudsters had secretly recorded the entire 54-minute meeting, which has now become evidence in the sprawling investigation.

White Guilt Exploitation Alleged

Benowitz told investigators the fraudsters deliberately exploited Minnesota’s polite culture and white guilt in the state, which is 81.5% white according to the latest census data. She called for both Omar and Attorney General Ellison to show greater accountability and respect for the investigation process. Aimee Bock, founder of Feeding Our Future who received a four-decade prison sentence, also stated publicly she finds it hard to believe Omar knew nothing about the scheme. Omar has dismissed all allegations as flat out false and rejected calls for her testimony.

Pattern of Missing Oversight

The whistleblower argued that even if Omar was truly unaware of the fraud, she should terminate staff members responsible for vetting her public appearances and partnerships. Benowitz emphasized that both Omar and Ellison have shown a complete lack of contrition and adopted indignant attitudes toward investigations, which has not served them well. She stated that public officials need to demonstrate humility and sometimes admit failures in oversight and due diligence.