Minnesota
Feeding Our Future: Minnesota AG Ellison faces GOP questioning
Ellison answers tape recording questions
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison faced the Republican-dominated House fraud committee on Monday, answering questions about the $250 million pandemic era Feeding Our Future fraud.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) – Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison faced the Republican-dominated House fraud committee Monday to answer questions about Feeding Our Future.
Feeding Our Fraud
AG on tape:
The GOP has called a recently released recording “disturbing” – saying Ellison offered support for criminal defendants in the country’s largest pandemic scam.
A month before the FBI raided the Feeding Our Future headquarters, at least a few of its fraudsters had a meeting with Ellison.
“We need you in this fight with us,” the group implored Ellison in December 2021.
The group identified as the Minnesota Minority Business Association complained to Ellison that East African businesses faced racism from state agencies.
“April 30th, I got shut down,” said Abdulkadir Nur Salah, the now-convicted former owner of Safari restaurant.
Feeding Our Past
Dissecting the call:
Ellison acknowledged knowing the restaurant in the recording, but he says at the time all he knew about what would become the Feeding Our Future scandal was that a judge had ruled against the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) stopping payments to some vendors. He didn’t arrange the meeting and said he didn’t know exactly who he was talking to.
Republicans were skeptical of Ellison’s professed confusion.
“Why do you say now that you didn’t know who he was when he clearly told you who he was, and why are you offering help to these people to work against your client (MDE)?” asked Rep. Patti Anderson, (R-Dellwood).
“What’s the help that these people got?” Ellison said. “No help. I mentioned DHS, and yet they were talking about MDE, so it’s not clear. It wasn’t clear. It’s apparent that in that conversation, it wasn’t clear to me what agency they were even discussing.”
“It should be no surprise that they’re talking about MDE because it’s almost on every page of my transcript: MDE, MDE, MDE,” said Rep. Marion Rarick, (R-Maple Lake).
Ellison said the tape proves a couple of things: He listened to constituents with complaints that would be important to him, but then he told them to put it all in writing.
Bottom line
You can hear it:
And in the end, he didn’t help them, even when they offered campaign contributions.
“Of course, I’m here to help,” he told them in the recording. “But let me be clear. I’m not here because I think it’s going to help my re-election.”
“When offered help in my campaign, I rejected it on the tape,” Ellison told the fraud committee. “You can hear it. I didn’t know I was being recorded. That happened.”
Ellison acknowledged the fraudsters tried to use racism as a shield to not be investigated, but said ultimately, it didn’t work.
Minnesota
So Minnesota: Enchanted Fantasy Film Museum brings Hollywood magic to Twin Cities
So Minnesota: Enchanted Fantasy Film Museum brings Hollywood magic to Twin Cities
One museum in the Maplewood Mall brings a part of Hollywood glamour to the Twin Cities.
William Swift is the owner and curator of Enchanted Fantasy Film Museum.
“I own the largest display of film costumes in North America, which is crazy,” Swift said.
There are more than 350 costumes and props on display from over 90 films and TV shows.
“I have stuff from Narnia, the Power Rangers, and have quite an extensive collection from Game of Thrones,” Swift said. “It’s just so cool and so fun to share with people such a grand collection. We never get anything like this in Minnesota or even really in the Midwest.”
Years ago, Swift, a longtime film buff, started collecting screen-used movie memorabilia in auctions. In 2024, he opened the museum with his massive collection.
“Eventually I ran out of room in my house, and I thought maybe it was time to take that leap of faith,” Swift said.
Minnesota
MyPillow’s Mike Lindell announces he’s running for Minnesota governor as a Republican
MyPillow founder and CEO Mike Lindell has announced he will run for Minnesota governor in 2026 against incumbent Gov. Tim Walz.
Lindell, 64, last week filed the paperwork to potentially run, but at the time said he hadn’t yet 100% decided on a gubernatorial run. On Thursday, he made it official.
“After prayerful consideration and hearing from so many of you across our great state, I’ve made the decision to enter the 2026 gubernatorial race,” Lindell posted on social media Thursday. “I’m still standing and I’ll stand for you.”
Lindell will run as a Republican and a noted ally of President Trump, and enters a crowded field of names who have already tossed their hats into the ring, as Walz, a Democrat, attempts to secure an unprecedented third consecutive four-year term as Minnesota’s governor.
“We’ve seen what happens when we elect a con man to the highest office in America,” Walz said Thursday, responding to Lindell’s announcement. “We can’t let it happen here in Minnesota.”
In addition to Lindell, state House Republican speaker Lisa Demuth has already announced a run for governor, as well as Scott Jensen, the Republican candidate who lost to Walz in the 2022 midterms. Other Republican hopefuls include Minnesota Rep. Kristin Robbins, Kendall Qualls and defense lawyer Chris Madel.
Lindell launched a campaign website, listing his main campaign priorities as including stopping fraud, fixing “failing school systems,” stopping “exploding property taxes” and “send(ing) illegal immigrants back.”
Lindell’s MyPillow has been at the center of a number of legal issues through the years, and earlier this year was ordered to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to shipping company DHL.
Also, a judge this year ruled that Lindell defamed election technology company Smartmatic after he alleged their voting machines rigged the 2020 presidential election in favor of former President Joe Biden. Lindell made similar unfounded claims against Dominion Voting Systems.
Minnesota has a history of political outsiders overperforming in statewide races, most notably former Gov. Jesse Ventura’s surprising win in 1998, but also it’s been two decades since a Republican won a statewide race in the increasingly blue-tilting state.
Minnesota
Minnesota leaders criticize Gov. Tim Walz over alleged fraud scheme oversight | Fox News Video
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