密苏里州参议员指责明尼苏达州总检察长协助了后来被指控参与新冠福利欺诈计划的人员
作者：阿什利·奥利弗
福克斯新闻
发布时间：2026年2月12日 美国东部时间下午1:54
密苏里州共和党参议员乔希·霍利周四呼吁明尼苏达州总检察长基思·埃利森辞职，并暗示他应该面临刑事指控，指责其协助了后来被指控参与一项大规模福利欺诈计划的人员。
这场对峙发生在参议院国土安全委员会听证会上，霍利就埃利森（一名当选的民主党人）围绕非营利组织“喂养我们的未来”（Feeding Our Future）所采取的行动向其提问。该组织是新冠疫情期间一个涉及2.5亿美元的儿童营养项目欺诈案的核心。
霍利指出，2021年12月，埃利森与后来被起诉的人员举行了一次会面。他辩称，明尼苏达州总检察长在那次据称持续54分钟的会面中秘密试图帮助这些人。
霍利称，会面几天后，埃利森就从后来被指控的个人那里接受了1万美元的竞选捐款。
“你帮助骗子欺骗你的州和联邦政府……而你却从中获得了丰厚的竞选捐款，”霍利喊道，“你应该被起诉。”
霍利随后补充说，埃利森“应该坐牢”。
“哦，你看看你能做些什么，”埃利森回击道。
明尼苏达州总检察长有力地否认了这些指控，称霍利是“选择性引用言论”并歪曲了这次会面。埃利森表示，他没有帮助被告。他的办公室协助提供了导致对更广泛调查中的被告进行起诉和定罪的信息。
整个交流过程声音很大且充满争议，两人互相打断对方，导致委员会主席、肯塔基州共和党参议员兰德·保罗一度插话，要求双方冷静下来。
前司法部长梅里克·加兰称“喂养我们的未来”案件是美国与疫情相关的最大规模欺诈案，数十人（大多为索马里裔）已因此案被指控。
总检察长帕姆·邦迪最近加强了该部门对明尼苏达州欺诈案的调查，向那里陷入困境的美国检察官办公室派遣了更多人力，以协助对多个福利项目中可能存在的欺诈行为进行持续调查。
阿什利·奥利弗是福克斯新闻数字频道和福克斯商业频道的记者，报道司法部和法律事务。请将新闻线索发送至 ashley.oliver@fox.com。
Hawley clashes with Minnesota AG Ellison over fraud: ‘You ought to be indicted’
Missouri senator accuses Minnesota attorney general of assisting people later charged in COVID-19 welfare fraud scheme
By Ashley Oliver
Fox News
Published February 12, 2026 1:54pm EST
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., on Thursday called for Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison to resign and suggested he should face criminal charges, accusing him of assisting people later charged in a sprawling welfare fraud scheme.
The confrontation came during a Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing in which Hawley questioned Ellison, an elected Democrat, about his actions surrounding the nonprofit Feeding Our Future, which was at the center of a $250 million scheme to defraud a child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hawley pointed to a meeting in December 2021 between Ellison and people who were later indicted, arguing that the Minnesota attorney general surreptitiously attempted to help them during what public records say was a 54-minute encounter.
Hawley said Ellison accepted $10,000 in campaign donations days after the meeting from individuals later charged.
“You helped fraudsters defraud your state and this government … and you got a fat campaign contribution out of it,” Hawley said, yelling, “You ought to be indicted.”
Hawley later added that Ellison “ought to be in jail.”
“Well, see what you can do about it,” Ellison shot back.
The Minnesota attorney general forcefully denied the accusations, saying Hawley was “cherry-picking quotes” and mischaracterizing the meeting. Ellison said he did not help the defendants. His office assisted with information that led to prosecutions and convictions in the broader investigation, Ellison said.
The entire exchange was loud and contentious as both men interrupted one another, causing committee chairman Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., to interject at one point and call for lowering the temperature.
Former Attorney General Merrick Garland called the Feeding our Future case the largest pandemic-related fraud in the country, and dozens of individuals, mostly of Somali descent, have been charged in connection with it.
Attorney General Pam Bondi recently intensified the department’s investigations into fraud in Minnesota, sending additional manpower to the embattled U.S. attorney’s office there to help with ongoing inquiries into possible fraud across several welfare programs.
Ashley Oliver is a reporter for Fox News Digital and FOX Business, covering the Justice Department and legal affairs. Email story tips to ashley.oliver@fox.com.
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