Walz Ends Re-Election Bid As Omar Embroiled In Somali-Based Fraud Allegations

Governor Tim Walz announced on Monday that he will not seek re-election due to growing criticism over a scandal, as reported by CNN. Walz then wrote on X/Twitter that he had “decided to step out of the race and let others worry about the election while I focus on the work.”

Feeding Our Future is a nonprofit that prosecutors say falsely claimed to provide meals to children in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. Beginning in 2022, federal authorities charged dozens of people connected to the organization, most of them of Somali origin.

In March, a federal jury found nonprofit founder and executive director Aimee Bock and Salim Said guilty for their roles in a $250 million fraud scheme tied to a government-funded children’s nutrition program. Said was a co-owner of a local restaurant that supplied meals under the program.

Prosecutors alleged that Bock and Said used proceeds from the scheme to purchase property, luxury vehicles, and international travel.

Bock, who is not Somali, was the subject of federal raids on her home and offices and was convicted on seven federal charges, including bribery. She has not yet been sentenced.

Said, who is also awaiting sentencing, was convicted on 20 federal charges, including bribery and money laundering. Both face potential sentences of up to 30 years in prison, according to a CNN affiliate. Continue reading…