Minnesota lawmakers have failed to approve a subpoena targeting Rep. Ilhan Omar after a divided vote on a Republican-led effort to compel the congresswoman to testify and hand over documents connected to the sprawling Feeding Our Future fraud scandal.The failed vote marked a dramatic conclusion to months of escalating scrutiny surrounding Omar’s ties to legislation and community groups connected to the federal child nutrition program at the center of what prosecutors have described as one of the largest pandemic-era fraud schemes in the country.

The Minnesota House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Committee voted 5-3 in favor of issuing the subpoena, falling one vote short of the six votes required under the state House’s bipartisan operating agreement.Committee Chair Kristin Robbins argued the subpoena had become necessary after Omar repeatedly declined invitations to testify and failed to respond to document requests tied to the investigation.

“We have reached out to Representative Ilhan Omar on multiple occasions, inviting her to testify and inviting and requesting documents,” Robbins said ahead of the vote. “The only tool left for us as a committee if we want to get these documents is to issue a subpoena.”

Robbins and other Republicans on the panel have focused heavily on Omar’s role in sponsoring the federal MEALS Act during the COVID-19 pandemic. Republicans argue the legislation loosened oversight requirements in federal nutrition programs and created conditions that enabled large-scale fraud.

“Representative Omar had some role, whether inadvertent or not,” Robbins said. “She passed the MEALS Act in March of 2020, and that took the guardrails off the federal school nutrition program which created the conditions for Feeding Our Future.”

The Feeding Our Future scandal has become one of Minnesota’s largest public corruption cases in recent history. Federal prosecutors allege that organizers and associates diverted hundreds of millions of dollars intended to feed low-income children during the pandemic through fake meal claims, shell nonprofits, and fraudulent reimbursement requests.

Dozens of individuals have been charged in the ongoing federal investigation, including nonprofit founder Aimee Bock and numerous business operators tied to Minnesota’s Somali community.

Republicans on the committee have specifically sought communications involving Omar and several individuals connected to the fraud investigation, along with records tied to her public promotion of Safari Restaurant, a Minneapolis business later linked to the scandal.

Robbins also referenced a Somali-language television appearance in which Omar highlighted the restaurant as a meal distribution site during the pandemic.

“We thought it’d be very helpful to understand from Rep. Omar’s perspective how she thought the MEALS Act impacted the community, why she brought it, what communication she had with the fraudsters,” Robbins said during Tuesday’s hearing.

Democrats on the committee strongly opposed the subpoena effort, accusing Republicans of politicizing the investigation and targeting Omar for partisan reasons.

Dave Pinto, the committee’s lead Democrat, questioned the timing and practical purpose of issuing a subpoena with only days remaining in the legislative session.

“Even if Omar were to testify or information is received, I do not see the committee doing anything with that information,” Pinto argued.

Pinto also referenced broader concerns about investigations involving political opponents under the Trump administration.

“We know the president and federal administration have got no hesitation going after political enemies and investigating them in all sorts of ways,” he said during the hearing.

The failed subpoena vote effectively blocks the Minnesota House committee from compelling Omar’s testimony before the legislative session concludes later this month.

Still, Robbins indicated Republicans are exploring other options to continue pursuing records and testimony.

“They’re fading,” Robbins said. “But I’ll certainly talk to our friends in Congress to see if they would be willing to issue a subpoena.”

Robbins added that federal authorities possess “a whole menu of legal options” because Omar is a sitting member of Congress.

The controversy surrounding Omar comes amid growing Republican efforts nationally to spotlight fraud and corruption in federal spending programs.