False Accusations Of Racism Protected Feeding Our Future Scam: State

TWIN CITIES, MN — Feeding Our Future used false accusations of racism to continue scamming the state and federal government out of pandemic aid, according to state officials.

Gov. Tim Walz's administration came under criticism this week after the U.S. Attorney’s Office filed criminal charges against 48 people in connection to Feeding Our Future.

The Minnesota-based nonprofit is accused of trying to scam $250 million from a federally-funded child nutrition program during the pandemic. The federal funds were distributed through the Minnesota Department of Education.

State Republicans — including gubernatorial candidate Scott Jensen — say Walz and Education Commissioner Heather Mueller could have done more to prevent fraud.

Walz and Mueller went on the defensive Thursday, saying that they did stop payments to Feeding Our Future, but were accused of racism in a subsequent lawsuit from Feeding Our Future.

"When the MDE stopped payments, Feeding Our Future hit back with accusations of racism and a sham lawsuit," the department said in a news release. "Because of Feeding Our Future’s misrepresentations in that lawsuit, a court instructed the payments to continue."

On Thursday, the MDE filed a claim seeking to recover $583,000 in state funds "used to defend the agency against Feeding Our Future’s dishonest legal attacks," the department said.

The claim was filed in Dakota County District Court. Mueller called Feeding Our Future's lawsuit a "baseless sham" and said she is seeking to return money for Minnesota's taxpayers.

"Yesterday’s DOJ and FBI announcement made it clear that MDE’s fast action and diligence launched the investigation that stopped the fraud and led to dozens of indictments," Mueller said in a statement.

"As part of the conspiracy identified in yesterday’s indictments, Aimee Bock and Feeding Our Future filed a meritless lawsuit accusing MDE of discrimination in order to continue their brazen scheme. That lawsuit was based on lies and was intended to intimidate MDE and distract from Feeding Our Future’s ongoing fraud."

Read the MDE's claim against Feeding Our Future here.

Also read: MN Nonprofit Stole Pandemic Aid Set Aside To Feed Kids: DOJ

Editor's note: Patch incorrectly stated that a Ramsey County judge ordered the state to restart payments to Feeding Our Future.