Keith Ellison faces scrutiny over audio recording with Somali fraudsters

Minnesota Legal professional Common Keith Ellison is underneath renewed scrutiny over a 2021 audio recording of his assembly with members of the Somali group who would quickly be convicted of defrauding them of hundreds of thousands of {dollars} in taxpayer cash.

Within the recording, now obtained by Fox Information, the would-be fraudsters could be heard asking Ellison to assist them increase extra money earlier than the dialog then turns to marketing campaign donations.

“The one means we will shield what now we have is by placing ourselves within the political enviornment. By placing our votes the place they’re wanted. However most significantly, by placing our bucks in the best locations. And by supporting candidates who will combat to guard our pursuits,” one of many Somali group members says within the recording.

“That is proper,” Ellison replies.

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Minnesota Legal professional Common Keith Ellison is once more underneath scrutiny for his connection to convicted fraudsters. (Getty)

Ellison has denied any wrongdoing in relation to the recording and mentioned he was utterly unaware of the fraudsters’ crimes on the time of the assembly.

“I met in good religion with folks I did not know and a few turned out to have performed unhealthy issues. I did nothing for them and took nothing from them,” Ellison wrote in an op-ed for the Minnesota Star Tribune in April.

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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz pronounces he won’t search re-election on Monday, Jan. 5, 2026, throughout a information convention on the Capitol in St. Paul. (Jerry Holt/The Minnesota Star Tribune through Getty Pictures)

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Ellison acquired marketing campaign donations from a number of the convicted fraudsters, in line with the Heart for the American Experiment, however he later returned these donations after they had been convicted.

The recording was first unearthed by Minnesota lawyer Kenneth Udoibok, who represents Aimee Bock, considered one of a number of convicted final yr within the $250 million “Feeding Our Future” rip-off. Udoibok argues that state leaders like Ellison and Governor Tim Walz must also be held accountable.

“I want to see somebody, somebody within the state, I do not care if it is the governor, I do not care if it is the lawyer normal, somebody to take duty,” he informed Fox Information in an interview.

“Mr. Ellison, your division representing your company bears some culpability,” Udoibok continued. “As a lot as I like Mr. Walz, he has not taken duty on behalf of his company. The cash stays with him, and within the worst case situation he ought to have fired the commissioner. He ought to have fired the director of the meals program, somebody.”

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Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., plans to ask witnesses in regards to the 2021 recording throughout a Home Oversight listening to on Wednesday, in line with a supply conversant in his plans.