Trump Administration Knew About Minnesota Fraud and Did Nothing

Friday, January 30, 2026

A former USDA official tells HuffPost that his superiors ignored the case that would inspire today's deadly immigration crackdown.

Posted by qcp at 09:31 PM | 23 COMMENTS | permalink

Let's review the facts at hand here: A Democratic administration discovered and prosecuted a case of welfare fraud. Republicans are now using this case to smear hundreds of thousands of immigrants and militarize an entire city. And your conclusion is that Democrats need to do something different?

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-- Michael Hobbes (@michaelhobbes.bsky.social) Jan 19, 2026 at 11:40 AM

Comments

More: A 2024 audit report by the Minnesota legislature examining the Feeding Our Future scandal said officials with the Education Department complained that the USDA was unresponsive when they asked about how to deal with problems presented by the nonprofit.

"For example, one MDE official told us that in communications between MDE and USDA about initiating administrative action against Feeding Our Future, USDA pushed responsibility back to MDE, telling the department that it should make decisions consistent with federal regulations," the report said.

The report also said that when the state asked about unusual attendance patterns reported at child meal sites namely, perfect daycare attendance over an extended period, which was a red flag for fraud the USDA said the attendance pattern was plausible under pandemic rule changes in effect at the time. "When MDE reached out to USDA to notify it of unusual attendance patterns, USDA responded that perfect attendance would be possible due to the waivers," according to the report.

In April 2020, after the state hesitated to approve eight new feeding sites for Feeding Our Future, the organization threatened to file a lawsuit accusing the government of racial discrimination against the Somali community that the organization served.

A former USDA official, who requested anonymity during an interview with HuffPost, recalled a state official asking the federal government for support to defend against the allegations. The state sought a letter of support from the USDA saying the number of meals Feeding Our Future claimed to be serving was implausible and could be a sign of fraud. "These numbers don't look right, and the state is justified in taking the action that it is taking," the former USDA official recalled thinking. "We discussed it as being fraud."

The official urged higher-ups at USDA to support the state's suspicion of fraud, but they declined. They didn't want to get involved.

"I was very frustrated and disappointed that we didn't act faster," the former official said. "We were waiting for it to hit the papers. When it did, nobody was surprised."

#1 | Posted by qcp at 2026-01-30 08:51 AM

Trump simply goes around looking for things to scream about for political advantage or personal gratification.

In case no one's noticed: Donald Trump runs the most corrupt and criminal government in the history of the United States.

#2 | Posted by Zed at 2026-01-30 08:58 AM

-But in 2020, the first Trump administration was warned by the state that the nonprofit in question, Feeding Our Future, was likely engaged in fraud, and the administration declined to get involved.

Is this another way to say the Biden administration ignored it as well?

It's just a question....I'm not going to criticize Biden for ignoring this. I'm asking if this is the point.

#3 | Posted by eberly at 2026-01-30 09:04 AM

#3 You mean like when in 2021 the FBI began it's investigation and started arresting people involved and that by 2025 78 people have been charged with many pleading guilty or convicted.

Ignoring it like that?

I guess you could make an argument that Biden ignored it in 2020, but he was busy campaigning to be President because he was not in office yet.

#4 | Posted by Nixon at 2026-01-30 10:00 AM

Thanks for clarifying that. The Biden administration didn't ignore this.

#5 | Posted by eberly at 2026-01-30 10:32 AM

Is this another way to say the Biden administration ignored it as well?
It's just a question....I'm not going to criticize Biden for ignoring this. I'm asking if this is the point.

#3 | Posted by eberly

By ignored, you mean arrested in February, 2022 after an investigation, then charged and convicted?

Eberly going full MAGAt:

"It's just a question....I'm not going to criticize Biden for ignoring this. I'm asking if this is the point."

There are no dumb questions - Only dumb people.

#6 | Posted by Sycophant at 2026-01-30 10:35 AM

There are no dumb questions - Only dumb people.

#6 | Posted by Sycophant

Wow...you just identified yourself as one dumb ------------.

#7 | Posted by eberly at 2026-01-30 10:46 AM

www.fbi.gov

Yes, it's right there.

I'm not a half-wit wannabe political junkie like some you ------- -------.

When I ask a question......it's an opportunity to present the facts.

read this very carefully sycophant (and anybody else who fancies themself as smart).........you will never be as smart as me.

no matter how hard you try. You will never be better than me. no matter how hard you try.

I am superior to you in every way imaginable.

If I'm not aware of the efforts of the Biden administration inside the timeframe of 2021-2023.......then so the ---- what?

It just means you're a ----- and can't take the high road to clarify that.

Which is what Nixon did....with a dose of attitude of course. I can handle that.

Now, here is your gold star for not pissing yourself this time, sycophant. Congrats!!!!

#8 | Posted by eberly at 2026-01-30 10:52 AM

"Eberly going full MAGAt:"

I merely ask for clarification what happened and that earns the label of "full MAGAT"?

JFC, get some help, please.

I'm sure you have nobody in your life to tell you this....but get help.

You know.......when I see Shrimptacodan post like a psycho and go off with hostility based on no fact......just attacks.

What makes you think you're any different than him?

You're not. You're the same.

#9 | Posted by eberly at 2026-01-30 10:56 AM

Attagirl Beverly. Don't you ever change.

#10 | Posted by LegallyYourDead at 2026-01-30 10:57 AM

No surprises from Eberly today.

He is taking the MAGA approach.

"I want to know. Why did Obama cause COVID? What was his goal?"
Then
"I didn't SAY Obama caused COVID. I was just asking a question!"

Seriously...he did the thing!

"Is this another way to say the Biden administration ignored it as well?" #3 | Posted by eberly
Then
"Drr...I didn't say Biden ignored this! I was just asking a question!"

"I am superior to you in every way imaginable." #8 | Posted by eberly
Apparently not. I know how to use Google. So do most 7 year olds.

#11 | Posted by Sycophant at 2026-01-30 11:56 AM

-I know how to use Google. So do most 7 year olds.

Which you believe makes you smart.

I can use google as well.

I posted the answer to my question in 8.....

This is what you need to ask about yourself in your next therapy session.

"Why is any question a trigger for me? Why does it set me off and generate outright rage?"

#12 | Posted by eberly at 2026-01-30 12:00 PM

"Is this another way to say the Biden administration ignored it as well?" #3 | Posted by eberly
Then
"Drr...I didn't say Biden ignored this! I was just asking a question!"

You're convinced I want to attack Biden for ignoring this scandal.

You have zero evidence of such. My question is just a question. Why would I make such an accusation about Biden?

Do you believe i have something against him?

I voted for him. I voted for his former vice-president when she ran for president.

What do you bring to this?

"Drr...."

That's about it. "Drr...."

What else do you got, Shrimptacophant?

#13 | Posted by eberly at 2026-01-30 12:12 PM

"Trump Admin. Knew About Minnesota Fraud And Did Nothing"

Never Let A Crisis Go To Waste

#14 | Posted by snoofy at 2026-01-30 12:31 PM

You have zero evidence of such. My question is just a question. Why would I make such an accusation about Biden?

What else do you got, Shrimptacophant?

#13 | Posted by eberly

ShrimpTacoBoazLeftHandTurdsBeverly defends the Trump trolls.

Is this another way to say ShrimpTacoBoazLeftHandTurdsBeverly believes Trump's Pedophilia is just fine?

It's just a question....I'm not going to criticize ShrimpTacoBoazLeftHandTurdsBeverly for ignoring this. I'm asking if this is the point.

See how it works? See how it comes across? If you want to know something SO basic, maybe Google it rather than ask a question that seems to make such assumptions. I come with receipts. MAGAts come with assuming questions and lies.

I'll chalk it up to a poorly worded question and post.

#15 | Posted by Sycophant at 2026-01-30 05:41 PM

-If you want to know something SO basic, maybe Google it rather than ask a question that seems to make such assumptions.

Nope. I'll continue to run you down with questions until you're dead, you -----.

I'll do what I want. I'll ask what day it is and force you to research it.

I'll ask all the ------- questions I want.......and I'll always get your $3.00 hour labor to research it for me.

You'll cry about it, of course.....I mean.....look at how you reacted to this for proof.

Cry all you want, little twerp.

I'll keep assuming you're a barely graduated moron with a liberal arts degree working a shift as a barista pissed off at the world and anybody who's managed to do better.

#16 | Posted by eberly at 2026-01-30 05:51 PM

"barely graduated moron with a liberal arts degree working a shift as a barista pissed off at the world and anybody who's managed to do better."

Oh, so he's
Punching up.

Whereas Republicans are pissed off at the poor, and immigrants, and historically oppressed minorities.
Punching down.

#17 | Posted by snoofy at 2026-01-30 05:55 PM

BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

now day care centers with no kids is trumps fault..

BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

#18 | Posted by shrimptacodan at 2026-01-30 08:01 PM

Been a wile since shrimptaco ------ up the page formatting.

#19 | Posted by REDIAL at 2026-01-30 08:25 PM

"I am superior to you in every way imaginable."

OK, Donald...LOL!!!

#20 | Posted by Angrydad at 2026-01-31 01:20 PM

#16 | Posted by eberly

I think your question was a valid question and that some of the posters here and that some posters here knee-jerk attack you because they cannot separate out their emotions.

On the other hand, the answer to your question was clear to me just from reading the summary and embedded tweet. So I can see why it could feel to other people that you were being intentionally obtuse. I just mark it down to laziness and your inherent bias against Democrats, and the impulse to immediately assume that they are "just as bad" as Republicans.

But you do seem to be able to acknowledge the facts when they are pointed out to you, which puts you way ahead of the curve vs most other conservatives, in my opinion.

#21 | Posted by gtbritishskull at 2026-01-31 05:48 PM

The Biden administration didn't ignore this.
#5 | Posted by eberly

What's it like to be the only Republican who actually believes that?

Is the cross heavy?

#22 | Posted by snoofy at 2026-01-31 05:52 PM

Personally, I have zero doubt but that MAGAts were up to their eyeballs in the MN corruption. It is what they do.

#23 | Posted by moder8 at 2026-02-01 04:50 PM

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