A former campaign aide to Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) has admitted guilt in a multimillion-dollar food fraud scheme linked to federal pandemic relief funds, drawing new attention to controversies surrounding figures in the congresswoman’s political circle.
Federal prosecutors announced that 49-year-old Guhaad Hashi Said — described by Alpha News as an “enforcer” for Omar’s campaign — pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. His case is part of the larger Feeding Our Future investigation, which has exposed widespread fraud targeting federally funded child nutrition programs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The conviction of the 52nd defendant in the Feeding Our Future case is yet another reminder of the vast reach of this fraud and the scale of the crisis we face in Minnesota,” Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson said. “These crimes are part of a web of schemes draining programs meant to help struggling Minnesotans. Tackling it will require an unyielding, all-hands-on-deck effort.”
Court filings show that between December 2020 and January 2022, Said exploited the Federal Child Nutrition Program through his nonprofit, Advance Youth Athletic Development, falsely claiming to serve thousands of daily meals to underprivileged children. Registered in February 2021 to an apartment in Minneapolis, the group allegedly reported serving 5,000 meals per day — totaling more than 1 million meals in 2021 — though only a fraction were actually provided. Prosecutors say Said fabricated records, invoices, and rosters to secure reimbursements.
The scheme generated about $2.9 million in federal funds. Prosecutors say that between August and December 2021, more than $2.1 million was funneled from the nonprofit’s accounts to a catering business under the guise of food purchases. Other funds went toward real estate, vehicles, and personal items through a network of shell companies.
Said, who once ran for the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2018, faces up to 25 years in federal prison at sentencing.
Although Omar has not been accused of involvement in the Feeding Our Future scandal, the conviction adds to the scrutiny surrounding her political connections. In 2019, the Minnesota Campaign Finance Board determined her state campaign misused funds for personal expenses and violated reporting rules, requiring her to reimburse over $3,400.
More recently, Omar has faced criticism over remarks she made in Somali during a community event. A translation circulated online suggested she placed Somalia’s interests above America’s, prompting House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) to call for an ethics investigation and demand her resignation. Omar rejected the translation as inaccurate, providing her own version in which she said she would defend Somalia’s sea access from foreign encroachment while serving in Congress.
“While I am in Congress, no one will take Somalia’s sea,” Omar said in her preferred translation. “The United States will not back others to rob us.”
Her remarks echoed earlier controversies over foreign policy statements, including a 2019 comment criticizing pro-Israel lobbying groups for encouraging “allegiance to a foreign country.”
The guilty plea from Said highlights how the Feeding Our Future scandal continues to ensnare figures tied to Minnesota’s Democratic politics, casting renewed attention on Omar’s network at a time when her own past controversies remain a focus for critics.
