'I've Never Seen Anything Like This!': Jim Jordan Stunned By Testimony About Minnesota Fraud

[0:00] Back chair and organizer, Mr. Jordan from Ohio. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Hudson, who is Salim [0:05] Saeed and Amy Bach? I recognize those names as defendants in the Feeding Our Future trial. [0:11] They ran Feeding Our Future, is that right? That's correct. And they've been indicted? [0:15] That's correct. They've been convicted? That's correct. And they're in jail waiting [0:18] sentences. Is that right? As I understand it. Okay, I want to go back because earlier with [0:22] Mr. Gill, you said that they overlooked the fraud. I think it's worse than that. [0:27] I think they helped it along. I want to go to this meeting that took place, [0:32] or actually, I want to go to March 30th, 2021. Is it true back in March of 2021, the Minnesota [0:37] Department of Education suspended payments to Feeding Our Future, that program? Is that right? [0:43] I believe that's correct. And then a month later, they resumed payments? [0:47] That's correct. What caused them to change their mind? [0:50] In my opinion, what caused them to change their mind was pushback from their constituency within [0:55] the Somali community who recused the state agencies of being racist. [0:59] But what caused them to stop it in the first place? Was it whistleblowers coming forward? [1:03] Was it like, something's not right here? What happened? [1:05] I apologize for the misunderstanding. The reason they stopped the funds in the first place is [1:09] because they had credible allegations that there was fraud taking place. [1:12] From whistleblowers and others? Correct. [1:14] They're just doing their job looking, this doesn't make sense. We've got all these programs. [1:17] No one's getting fed, and yet money's going out the door like crazy. [1:20] So they suspended it. And then they started to back up, right? Was there any threat of a lawsuit [1:24] from the Somali community and folks affiliated with Feeding Our Future? [1:29] Mr. Jordan, there was more than a threat. They actually did. [1:32] They did? And what was the alleged claim in that lawsuit? [1:35] That they were victims of racial discrimination. [1:37] Oh, they played the race card, huh? [1:39] All this fraud going on, money going out, and they played the race card. [1:43] Now, when I talked about not just overlooking it, there was a meeting that took place between [1:47] the Attorney General and affiliates of Feeding Our Future. Is that right? [1:51] That is correct. [1:52] And what happened at that meeting? Do we know? [1:54] Yeah, we do, because we have it on tape. There was an audio recording made at that meeting that [2:00] was entered into evidence in the Feeding Our Future trial, and it was later revealed through work [2:06] from Center of the American Experiment, the full recording. And my observations of what took place [2:12] in that meeting was that Attorney General Keith Ellison was focused on one thing and one thing only, [2:17] and that was keeping these folks in business. There were no questions that he asked of these folks [2:21] about how the kids are doing, the operation, how they're getting fed, who's being helped. Instead, [2:27] the focus was entirely on ensuring that the money continues to flow. And I'll add that he went so [2:33] far as to say that he was going to fight these people in reference to the state agencies. The state [2:38] agencies are his client. [2:40] Yeah. And when you said money's going to flow, did money flow to Mr. Ellison's campaign a couple weeks [2:44] later from some of the folks who were in that meeting? Sure did. How much, do we know how much [2:48] that was? I do not have that number. So it wasn't just, wasn't just overlooking the fraud. They were [2:55] actively trying to make sure this program continued, and then they benefited from that politically with [3:01] contributions to their campaign, all in this same year, all in 2021, when this was all coming to a [3:06] head. Is that accurate? That is my understanding. And this fraud is much bigger than this, because as [3:11] I look, it is just about, it's like six different federal agencies. Department of Homeland Security, [3:17] Health and Human Services, Small Business Association, Housing, Urban Development, [3:21] Department of Labor, Department of Agriculture, in this program, and a bunch of others, they were [3:25] shaking down the entire federal government, it looked like. Six different federal agencies. Over, [3:30] I think you pointed out, over the last 15 years? That's correct. And not only are the administration, [3:36] the Democrat administration overlooking it, they're helping it along. They're assisting it. [3:41] They're going after whistleblowers, as your colleague pointed out, and they're benefiting from [3:46] all this politically with contribution to their campaign, not to mention the voting issue that [3:51] you referenced earlier as well. Is that all accurate? I believe so. Oh, now there's more than six [3:55] agencies involved. There's six federal agencies that got shaken down, but there's two other agencies [3:59] involved now, the FBI and the DOJ, right? How many people have been indicted now? I do not have that [4:05] number in front of me, but it's significant. And I don't know how long you all been in the [4:09] legislation. We appreciate your work, appreciate what you do, but have you ever seen anything like [4:13] this in your time in the legislature? I've never seen anything like this in an ATF. Ms. Robbins, [4:17] you're the chair. No, sir. We have never seen anything on this scale. It is unbelievable. As [4:24] Joe Thompson said, it is breathtaking and cannot be overstated. Yeah. Well, God bless you all. Ms. [4:30] Rankin, or Ms. Rarick, excuse me, I'll give you the last word. Thank you. So I've been there since 2013, [4:35] and I have been yelled at by Democrats over and over again throughout our time there to say that [4:40] there is no fraud. This is just made up. Yeah. This is, this is the template. You see this all [4:45] the time. The left will tell a lie. We're feeding kids when they're not, when they're just shaking [4:50] down the taxpayer. The left will tell the lie. The media will report the lie or not report when the [4:55] truth comes out. And then when you tell the truth, they call you racist. It's as old as time. We see it [5:02] all the time. This, this is so wrong. God bless you all for coming forward and getting the facts [5:07] to the people of Minnesota, and more importantly, to the people of this great country. I yield back. [5:11] Gentleman yields back. Chair recognizes Mr. Lynch from Massachusetts. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.