Report Links Ilhan Omar’s Sister To Massive Fraud Scheme
New questions are being raised about Rep. Ilhan Omar’s family following an investigation that uncovered connections between her sister and an address tied to individuals convicted in what authorities have described as the largest fraud scheme in Minnesota history.
The report does not accuse the Minnesota Democrat or her family of participating in the fraud, but it points to business records and shared addresses that investigators and lawmakers are now examining as scrutiny surrounding the scandal continues.
According to an investigation published by The Daily Wire, Omar’s sister, Sahra Noor, incorporated one of her consulting businesses using the address of a Minnesota woman whose business relationships allegedly connect her to multiple individuals convicted in the massive Feeding Our Future fraud case.
The Feeding Our Future case involved hundreds of millions of dollars in federally funded child nutrition programs that prosecutors say were fraudulently billed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Federal prosecutors have described it as the largest public fraud case in Minnesota’s history.
The Minnesota House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Committee has been examining issues related to the scandal.
Earlier this year, Republican lawmakers sought to subpoena records from Omar as part of the committee’s investigation, but Democratic members voted to block that effort.
The Daily Wire reported that Noor incorporated Grit Partners Consulting using a residence on Hyacinth Avenue in Lakeville, Minnesota.
According to the report, the home is owned by Mashah Ahmed Ali and his wife, Ister Ahmed Afraa.
Public business records cited by the outlet show Afraa was associated with multiple companies alongside individuals later convicted in the Feeding Our Future investigation.
Among them was Hanna Marekegn, who pleaded guilty to wire fraud after admitting to stealing approximately $7 million through the federal meals program.
Federal prosecutors alleged Marekegn falsely claimed to be serving thousands of meals to children each day while using the proceeds to purchase luxury properties.
The investigation also alleges Afraa maintained business relationships with Sahra Nur, another individual who pleaded guilty in the Feeding Our Future case and was sentenced to prison.
According to court filings cited in the report, Nur admitted operating companies that prosecutors said submitted fraudulent meal reimbursement claims and provided false invoices to facilitate the scheme.
The Daily Wire also reported that Noor’s consulting company, Grit Partners, has publicly stated it helped secure more than $20 million for health initiatives and worked on projects supported by federal agencies including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Agency for International Development.
The report further notes that Noor previously led People’s Center Clinics & Services, which received a $2 million legislative earmark while Omar served in the Minnesota Legislature.
The article does not allege that the earmark was connected to the Feeding Our Future investigation.
When contacted by The Daily Wire, Mashah Ahmed Ali reportedly denied knowledge of companies registered at his address or in his wife’s name.
“There must be some sort of scam going on. I have no idea,” he told the outlet.
He also said he had “nothing to do with anything” involving the businesses identified in the report.
According to the article, Afraa did not respond to requests for comment.
The Daily Wire also reported that Noor did not respond to its request for comment.
At the time of publication, neither federal prosecutors nor Minnesota state investigators have publicly accused Rep. Omar or Sahra Noor of criminal wrongdoing in connection with the Feeding Our Future case.
The investigation instead focuses on business registrations, shared addresses and associations with individuals who have been convicted in the broader fraud scheme.
As legal proceedings continue against other defendants involved in the case, the Feeding Our Future scandal remains one of the largest public corruption investigations in Minnesota’s history, with prosecutors alleging that hundreds of millions of dollars intended to feed children were instead diverted through fraudulent organizations and shell companies.
