Fresh revelations have surfaced regarding US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar's connections to individuals convicted in a sweeping $250 million food aid fraud scandal in her Minnesota congressional district. While prosecutors have not directly implicated the progressive, Somali-born representative, her links to at least two convicted fraudsters are now under intense scrutiny.
Campaign Ties to Convicted Fraudsters
Salim Ahmed Said, the 33-year-old owner of Safari Restaurant where Omar held her 2018 election victory party, was convicted in March 2025 on 21 counts. These included wire fraud, federal programs bribery, and money laundering. He allegedly diverted $5 million meant for a child nutrition programme through the charity Feeding Our Future for personal enrichment.
Separately, Guhaad Hashi Said, who worked as an official on Omar's 2018 and 2020 campaigns, pleaded guilty in August 2025 to fraud. He ran a fake food site called Advance Youth Athletic Development, pocketing $3.2 million from the same federal scheme.
The Scale of the Scandal and Omar's Proximity
The fraud case is one of the largest of its kind, with over 70 defendants charged and 45 convictions secured so far. Salim Ahmed Said faces decades in prison. His restaurant, Safari, allegedly received more than $16 million for 'phantom meals' that were never served to children.
Bill Glahn, a policy fellow with the Center of the American Experiment, told the New York Post that Omar was a frequent visitor to the Safari Restaurant. "She knew who these people were," Glahn claimed. "People she personally knew were making tens of millions of dollars in this programme." He questioned whether the congresswoman was "terminally naive" or chose to ignore the illegal activity.
Omar has maintained she was completely unaware of any wrongdoing. However, she introduced the 2020 MEALS Act bill that prosecutors say made the massive fraud scheme possible.
Campaign Donations and a Wider Terror Financing Probe
Financial links have also been established. Omar's campaign received $7,400 in donations from individuals later convicted in the fraud. When the scandal became public in 2022, she returned these contributions.
Furthermore, the Trump administration has now launched an investigation into whether millions of dollars obtained fraudulently were funnelled to terrorist organisations. This probe is specifically examining potential links to the Somalia-based militant group Al-Shabaab.
The congresswoman's office did not respond to requests for comment on these new revelations detailing the extent of her connections to the convicted individuals. As the legal and political fallout continues, the case raises significant questions about oversight and accountability in federal nutrition programmes.
