Hawley Accuses Ellison of Aiding $250M Fraud in Senate Hearing

In a tense exchange during a Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing on Thursday, Missouri Senator Josh Hawley accused Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison of aiding participants in a major federal fraud scheme involving child nutrition funds, demanding that he resign and face indictment. The confrontation, which unfolded in Washington, D.C., centered on the Feeding Our Future scandal, where organizers allegedly diverted more than $250 million in taxpayer money intended for feeding children during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hawley, a Republican, pressed Ellison on a December 11, 2021, meeting in the attorney general's state capitol office with individuals later connected to the fraud. According to an audio recording of the session, the visitors complained about state investigators scrutinizing their finances and sought Ellison's intervention. Hawley read from a transcript, quoting Ellison as saying, "Send me the names of all these folks who are investigating Feeding Our Future and I'll take that list, and I'll call the person over at Education who's investigating them." He characterized the interaction as an effort to shield the group from scrutiny, noting it lasted nearly...