Former Ilhan Omar Associate Pleads G
Former Omar Associate Pleads Guilty in $2.9M Food Fraud Scheme
A former campaign aide to Rep. Ilhan Omar, Guhaad Hashi Said, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges in a multi-million-dollar pandemic food fraud case.
Federal prosecutors say Said admitted to defrauding a federally funded child nutrition program during COVID-19, falsely claiming his nonprofit served over 1 million meals to underprivileged children.
Between 2020 and 2022, Said’s nonprofit, Advance Youth Athletic Development, filed fake reports and used falsified invoices to collect about $2.9 million.
Though he claimed to serve 5,000 meals daily, prosecutors say he delivered only a fraction.
Much of the money was funneled through shell companies and spent on real estate, vehicles, and personal items.
“The conviction of the 52nd defendant in the Feeding Our Future case is yet another reminder of the vast reach of this fraud,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson.
Ties to Ilhan Omar Raise Eyebrows
Said, described as an “enforcer” in Omar’s political circle, previously ran for state office in 2018.
While Omar is not charged in the case, the connection adds to ongoing scrutiny of her political network.
Ethics Questions Resurface
Omar has faced ethics issues before. In 2019, she was ordered to repay campaign funds misused for personal expenses.
More recently, she faced backlash over comments made in Somali, which critics say put Somalia’s interests above America’s.
“No sitting member of Congress should be able to blatantly spew anti-American rhetoric and get away with it,” said Rep. Tom Emmer, calling for her resignation.
Omar Responds to Criticism
Omar rejected the translation of her Somali remarks, releasing a version where she said:
“While I am in Congress, no one will take Somalia’s sea. The United States will not back others to rob us.”
Said faces up to 25 years in prison.