{"id":2569333,"date":"2026-02-12T12:36:02","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T17:36:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hawley-calls-on-minnesota-attorney-general-to-be-indicted-over-fraud-reports\/"},"modified":"2026-02-12T12:40:26","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T17:40:26","slug":"hawley-calls-on-minnesota-attorney-general-to-be-indicted-over-fraud-reports","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hawley-calls-on-minnesota-attorney-general-to-be-indicted-over-fraud-reports\/","title":{"rendered":"Hawley calls on Minnesota attorney general to be indicted over fraud reports"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fhawley-calls-on-minnesota-attorney-general-to-be-indicted-over-fraud-reports%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2569333&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>in a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Oversight hearing on Minnesota fraud, Senator Josh hawley pressed Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison over <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-losing-ground-with-voters-in-belief-of-his-innocence-poll\/\" title=\"Poll shows decline in voters&#039; belief in Biden&#039;s innocence.\">allegations connected<\/a> to the Feeding Our Future program. Hawley claimed Ellison met with feeding Our Future leaders in December 2021 and urged investigators to disclose names, suggesting he aided the fraudsters, while noting <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gop-reps-introduce-omar-act-to-crackdown-on-lawmakers-who-channel-campaign-funds-to-spouses\/\" title=\"GOP reps. introduce \u2018OMAR Act\u2019 to crackdown on lawmakers who channel campaign funds to spouses\">campaign donations<\/a> connected to those leaders. ellison denied aiding the scheme, saying his team helped prosecute the fraudsters and that Hawley was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kid-rock-concertgoers-have-brutal-news-for-anheuser-busch-for-4th-of-july-anything-but-bud-light\/\" title=\"Kid Rock fans reject Bud Light for 4th of July.\">cherry-picking quotes<\/a> from a recording. The exchange grew intensely personal, with Hawley telling Ellison he should be indicted or resign, and Ellison retorting that Hawley should resign as well. The hearing also featured questions from other lawmakers, and it was noted that the House Oversight Committee had previously scheduled Tim Walz to testify on Minnesota fraud.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Hawley calls on Minnesota attorney general to be indicted over <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ftc-orders-big-tech-to-address-surge-in-ads-promoting-scams-and-fraudulent-products\/\" title=\"FTC orders Big Tech to address surge in ads promoting scams and fraudulent products\">fraud reports<\/a>: &lsquo;You ought to be in jail&rsquo;<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2503302\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Sen. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/josh-hawley\/\">Josh Hawley<\/a> (R-MO) and Minnesota Attorney General <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/keith-ellison\/\">Keith Ellison<\/a> called on each other to resign from their respective positions after a heated exchange in a Senate homeland security committee hearing on <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/minnesota\/\">Minnesota<\/a> oversight.<\/p>\n<p>Hawley grilled Ellison on the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/minnesota-fraud\/\">fraud scandals<\/a> gripping Minnesota, focusing on a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4409731\/doj-prosecutors-minnesota-widening-fraud-investigation\/\">2021 meeting between Ellison<\/a> and several leaders who were later charged in the Feeding Our Future nonprofit organization&rsquo;s COVID-19 fraud scandal, which was secretly caught on tape.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/4454655\/house-candidate-texas-accused-defrauding-donors-hispanic-activists\/\">Hispanic conservatives accuse House GOP hopeful of defrauding donors and activists<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/4454066\/healthcare-fraud-nationwide-house-republicans-warn\/\">Healthcare fraud has proliferated nationwide, House Republicans warn<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/4452277\/trump-administration-treading-carefully-transgender-prison-housing\/\">Trump administration treading carefully in <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >transgender prison housing cases<\/a><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>The exchange erupted when Hawley said Ellison deserved to be jailed for his actions.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The people who ran the Feeding Our Futures program came to you in your official office in the state capitol on December 11, 2021, and asked for your help in getting investigators off their backs,&rdquo; Hawley said. &ldquo;You said to them, &lsquo;Send me the names of all these folks who are investigating.&rsquo; You said to them, &lsquo;Send me their names and I&rsquo;ll take that list, and I&rsquo;ll call the person over at education who is investigating them and say, &lsquo;What&rsquo;s going on? Why am I getting these complaints?&#8217;&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Ellison denied the two accusations that he helped or agreed to help the Feeding Our Futures leaders and told Hawley he was &ldquo;cherry-picking quotes&rdquo; out of the recording.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;My team assisted with the information that led to the prosecution and conviction of these people,&rdquo; Ellison said.<\/p>\n<p>Hawley accused Ellison of lying, and the two spoke over each other for several minutes.<\/p>\n<p>The House oversight committee <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/premium\/4409812\/tim-walz-withdrawal-minnesota-scandals-not-solved\/\">previously alerted<\/a> Ellison to a tape recording of the meeting between the Gopher state attorney general and the Feeding Our Future leaders. Ellison was &ldquo;caught on tape pledging to help Feeding Our Future fraudsters in a conversation that also included discussion of campaign donations from Somali community leaders,&rdquo;<em>&nbsp;<\/em>according to Rep. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/james-comer\/\">James Comer<\/a>&lsquo;s (R-KY), House oversight chairman, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/oversight.house.gov\/release\/chairman-comer-launches-investigation-into-massive-fraud-in-minnesotas-social-services-system-on-governor-walzs-watch\/\">letter<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Hawley continued to blast Ellison over his exchanges with Minnesota fraudsters and said his campaign financially benefited from the leaders of the fraud ring. Ellison denied Hawley&rsquo;s claims.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Why&rsquo;d you take their money? You took $10,000. $10,000, nine days after the meeting,&rdquo; Hawley said.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s a false statement,&rdquo; Ellison said, as the two spoke over each other.<\/p>\n<p>Ellison called Hawley&rsquo;s line of questioning a &ldquo;theatrical performance,&rdquo; while Hawley fired back, &ldquo;This is what accountability looks like.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;You helped fraudsters defraud your state and this government of $9 million, and you got a fat campaign contribution out of it; you ought to be indicted,&rdquo; Hawley said.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;That is completely untrue,&rdquo; Ellison said.<\/p>\n<p>The two repeatedly asked each other to stop talking over their statements.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s my hearing, pal,&rdquo; Hawley said.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not your pal, don&rsquo;t call me pal,&rdquo; Ellison said.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Well, I should call you a prisoner, because you ought to be in jail,&rdquo; Hawley fired back.<\/p>\n<p>The two elected officials ended the exchange when Hawley said Ellison should resign.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I was thinking the same thing about you!&rdquo; Ellison responded.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/4440414\/house-oversight-committee-tim-walz-testify-minnesota-fraud\/\"><strong>HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE SETS DATE FOR TIM WALZ TO TESTIFY ON MINNESOTA FRAUD<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Ellison engaged in several heated lines of questioning during the hearing, including from Sens. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/ron-johnson\/\">Ron Johnson<\/a> (R-WI) and <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/ashley-moody\/\">Ashley Moody<\/a> (R-FL). Johnson pressed Ellison on the Minnesota anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement protests and the protesters use of signal chats, which Democratic state Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan was reportedly tied to, though she <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fox9.com\/news\/peggy-flanagan-denies-signal-chat-connection-feb-2026\">denied any connection<\/a> to the coordinating chats.<\/p>\n<p>Ellison testified in the first panel of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Oversight hearing on Thursday. He sat flanked by two other witnesses from Minnesota&rsquo;s state government and House Majority Whip <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/tom-emmer\/\">Tom Emmer<\/a> (R-MN) as the fourth witness. However, Ellison largely fielded most of the questions from the Senate committee.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hawley presses Ellison on fraud; both call resignations<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3976,"featured_media":2569334,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/img_1963_720.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651,538],"tags":[73684,50817,15074,5698],"class_list":["post-2569333","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","category-washington-examiner","tag-attorney-general-2","tag-hawley-2","tag-indictment","tag-minnesota"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/img_1963_720.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2569333","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3976"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2569333"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2569333\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2569337,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2569333\/revisions\/2569337"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2569334"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2569333"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2569333"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2569333"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}