Video News Clips: In Their Own Words

Minnesota Democrats Attempted To Derail GOP Lawmaker Discussing Somali Scandal Months Before Story Blew Up

Screenshot/Facebook/Minnesota House Republican Caucus

Democrats in the Minnesota House of Representatives repeatedly interrupted Republican state Rep. Harry Niska in April as he pushed for an amendment to increase transparency about 2021 meetings between Democratic Attorney General Keith Ellison and people tied to a nonprofit involved in fraud, according to a resurfaced video.

In April, Niska sought to introduce the amendment that would have required increased transparency from Ellison’s office in the wake of released audio recordings of Ellison with people involved with Feeding our Future, one of the nonprofits associated with COVID-19 fraud schemes that have ripped through the Somali community in the state. On April 25, Niska tried to amend legislation on the floor, only to be interrupted during his remarks about the legislation.

“Recently released audio recordings reveal conversations that happened between the attorney general and individuals who were later implicated, and in some cases, convicted, in the Feeding our Future scandal,” Niska said. “In those recordings, the attorney general-”

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“Point of order,” a Democrat said, claiming that Niska was making a personal attack on Ellison. The speaker allowed Niska to keep speaking.

Niska resumed speaking about the amendment, before another Democrat interrupted to ask if the chair had ruled on the initial point of order. Niska would be interrupted by at least one other point of order during his remarks.

The recording, made in 2021, involved a December 2021 meeting between Ellison and the individuals, shortly before search warrants were served by the FBI, CBS News reported. Prominent Minnesota Democrats, including Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar and Democratic Mayor Jacob Frey of Minneapolis, have also received political donations from the Somalis tied to the welfare scams, the New York Post reported.

Federal prosecutors have secured at least 59 convictions tied to the fraud schemes, with additional prosecutions underway.

United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is surging in the Minneapolis area to target illegal immigrants from Somalia after revelations into at least $1 billion in fraud, some of which reportedly went to the radical Islamic terrorist group Al-Shabaab.

State employees accused Democratic Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota of engaging in “systemic” retaliation against whistleblowers who warned of the fraud schemes as the Justice Department is pursuing three federal cases involving at least $1 billion in fraud.

Walz admitted Sunday that the state “attracts criminals,” but demanded that Somali residents not be demonized during an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”