Minnesota state lawmakers accused Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., of taking part in a scheme that stole more than $250 million in federal funds.

The allegations surfaced during a fraud oversight hearing Tuesday led by the GOP-controlled Minnesota House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Policy Committee.

Newsmax reached out to Omar's office seeking comment on the lawmakers' allegations.

Lawmakers pointed to Omar's role in advancing legislation they said helped enable the Feeding Our Future scheme.

At issue is the Maintaining Essential Access to Lunch for Students (MEALS) Act, introduced by Omar in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Washington Examiner reported.

Omar's bill expanded eligibility for food distributors to participate in a federally funded child nutrition program, allowing nonschool entities to receive reimbursements for meals provided to children when schools were closed.

Republican lawmakers argued those expanded provisions weakened safeguards and opened the door to widespread abuse.

"The MEALS Act loosened the guardrails on the federal nutrition program that led to the scandal we now call Feeding Our Future," said state Rep. Kristin Robbins, the committee's chair.

Authorities have described the Feeding Our Future case as the largest pandemic-era fraud in the nation.

Prosecutors said a network of individuals used shell companies and fraudulent claims to siphon off hundreds of millions of dollars intended to feed low-income children.

In many cases, officials allege, no meals were ever served.

Omar did not appear at the hearing despite requests from the committee.

In her absence, lawmakers reviewed a 2020 video in which she promoted the MEALS Act to Somali-language media and praised Safari Restaurant, a business later linked to key figures in the fraud scheme.

Court records show individuals connected to Safari Restaurant allegedly used program funds for luxury cars, real estate, and international travel while claiming to serve thousands of meals daily.

Robbins said Omar's actions, including promoting specific participants in the program, raise significant questions about her role and awareness.

"I think understanding her role in this is important," Robbins said, adding that the committee will seek further testimony or written responses from the congresswoman.

Democrats on the panel pushed back, arguing Omar's intent was to ensure children received food during pandemic shutdowns.

State Rep. Dave Pinto said the legislation was designed to address urgent needs when traditional school meal programs were disrupted.

Still, Republicans contended the scale of fraud in Minnesota far exceeded that seen in other states and argue the legislative changes played a key role.

The controversy comes as Omar faces additional scrutiny over financial disclosure filings.

An amended report recently revised her and her husband's reported assets from as much as $30 million to under $100,000, which aides attributed to accounting errors, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday.

The allegations against Omar have fueled broader concerns among conservatives about government accountability, pandemic spending, and the risks of loosening program safeguards without sufficient oversight.

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