stone. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison became the latest state official on Monday to defend his role in the legal battle to “feed our future.”
Feeding Our Future, a Minnesota-based nonprofit, is accused of trying to defraud $250 million from a federally funded child nutrition program during the pandemic. The Justice Department last week announced charges against 48 people linked to the nonprofit.
After the charges, the governor. Tim Walz, Ellison and other state officials have been charged with allowing massive fraud in the state.
Walz shifted responsibility from his administration last week, prompting additional pushback from state judges. Education Commissioner Heather Mueller, whose agency oversees grants to “feed our future,” also defended her department.
On Monday, Ellison’s office released a statement detailing his efforts to rule the nonprofit.
“For two years, Ellison’s Office of the Attorney General has held accountable for ‘feeding our future,'” John Stiles, deputy director and spokesman for Ellison’s office, said in a statement.
“Earlier, the Attorney General’s Office worked side-by-side with MDE to flag evidence of fraud, ask Feeding Our Future to make corrections, defend MDE from Feeding Our Future’s vile lawsuit – and most importantly, submit evidence of criminal fraud to The FBI, which led directly to federal criminal investigations and criminal prosecutions of Feed Our Future fraud. Attorney General Ellison’s office also used its civil charity enforcement powers to investigate violations of state charity laws and to ensure that courts were overseeing its dissolution, so that it can “not misuse any of its remaining assets. “