St. Paul – Yesterday, the FBI raided a nonprofit organization called ‘Feeding Our Future’ that was the subject of a monthslong federal investigation. This organization received over $230 million from federal programs that were designed to end childhood hunger. Instead, Feeding Our Future purchased luxury cars, real estate, trips to Las Vegas, and property in Kenya.
Rep. Steve Drazkowski (Republican-Mazeppa) offered his reaction.
“The greedy are stealing from the needy,” said Rep. Drazkowski. “In the Twin Cities, we continue to see nonstop corruption and fraud. This pattern of criminal activity does not come as a surprise to anyone. The core of Minnesota’s metro area has slowly succumbed to illegality and immorality, yet no elected leaders there will take any responsibility. If they will not try and stop this insanity, then I will. I intend to draft legislation this session to crush fraud without mercy.”
Feeding Our Future claimed to be feeding thousands of children every day. However, federal documents specifically state that almost none of the money the organization received was used to feed hungry children. The FBI searched more than a dozen locations across the Twin Cities that were connected to this scheme.
“Why am I, a rural member of the Minnesota House, the only politician sounding the alarm yet again?” said Rep. Drazkowski. “Why aren’t Keith Ellison, Ilhan Omar, Mohamud Noor, Hodan Hassan, Esther Agbaje, Sydney Jordan, or Frank Hornstein outraged at the corruption that is going on in their city? Why aren’t they doing something? There’s a simple answer, these Democrats do not want to go after the criminals that keep them in office. I feel bad for the law-abiding people of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They did not ask for unbridled lawlessness, but their elected leaders certainly continue to deliver it.”
In 2020, the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) attempted to stop paying Feeding Our Future over concerns about how the organization spent money. However, Ramsey County Judge John H. Guthmann ordered the MDE to continue sending payments to Feeding Our Future just last year.
Rep. Drazkowski concluded, “The nonprofits based in and around Minneapolis are nothing but corrupt money laundering machines. Career criminals use these organizations to line their own pockets and send money all over the world. Yet federal, state, and local government continue to give your tax dollars to these organizations. The politicians that continue to fund these deceitful nonprofits are just as criminal as those stealing the money.”
###