JUST IN: Ilhan Omar Caught Sneaking $1M To Somali Group

Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa is moving to block more than $1 million in federal funding steered to a Somali-led addiction recovery group in Minneapolis that shares an address with a Somali restaurant, Fox News Digital learned.

“The scale and frequency of fraud in Minnesota is staggering, but I fear just the tip of the iceberg,” Ernst told Fox News Digital on Wednesday. “Congress owes it to the American people to clean up the mess instead of letting the same politicians who created it keep pigging out at the trough. I am putting a stop to this madness, protecting taxpayers, and empowering the Department of Justice to hold every single criminal accountable.”

Lawmakers rolled out a sweeping spending package Monday totaling at least $174 billion, with a House vote expected later this week. Ernst’s office flagged a $1,031,000 earmark within the package that was directed through the Department of Justice to a Minneapolis nonprofit called Generation Hope MN. The earmark was led by Rep. Ilhan Omar and co-sponsored in the Senate by Democratic Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith.

Generation Hope MN, a 501(c)(3) founded in 2019, says it aims to build “a better, safer, and more connected community” for people struggling with addiction in the Twin Cities’ East African community.

“We are a Somali-led organization, and our team includes individuals in recovery, mental health professionals such as licensed counselors and peer recovery support specialists, and community members,” the group states on its website.

The nonprofit lists two Minneapolis addresses, including one on Cedar Avenue. That same Cedar Avenue address is also listed for Sagal Restaurant and Coffee, a long-running Somali restaurant. Google Maps additionally shows a neighborhood association operating out of the location.

Sagal owner Fartune Del confirmed that Generation Hope MN uses office space above the restaurant.

“We have 8 office spaces on upper level of the building. Generation Hope (is) using space to help people in need of addiction,” Del wrote in an email to Fox Digital.

The nonprofit’s second listed address is a commercial property on Harmon Place.

Ernst is preparing a Senate amendment that would redirect the $1 million-plus earmark to a Justice Department account focused on fraud prevention and enforcement, according to Fox Digital.

Documents published by Omar’s office promoting the funding list the group’s address as “Cedar Ave. South,” which also corresponds to the restaurant’s location on Google Maps. Yelp reviews dating back more than a decade praise the café for “delicious” “Authentic Somali meals,” with an average rating of four and a half stars.

Omar’s office previously said the fiscal 2026 funding would address the “opioid crisis by combining this workforce readiness programming with addiction recovery, mental health, and housing support,” while reducing recidivism and expanding job opportunities.

“The funding would be used for targeted reentry support in Minneapolis including job-specific training, computer skills development, peer support services, and access to education,” the office said, adding that participants would receive industry-recognized certifications through apprenticeship partnerships.

Washington, DC – April 28, 2025: Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) speaks during a public reception at the annual Muslim Advocacy Day at the Capitol.

IRS filings reviewed by Ernst’s office show the three leaders of Generation Hope MN listed the same five-bedroom Minneapolis home as their primary residence, Fox News first reported.

Abdirahman Warsame, a local author, co-founded the nonprofit in 2019, according to a 2022 interview with the Sahan Journal tied to the release of his poetry book chronicling a “recovering addict’s journey to sobriety.”

The funding fight comes as Minnesota remains engulfed in a sprawling fraud scandal tied to COVID-era programs. Investigators say fraudulent meal, housing, daycare and Medicaid schemes allegedly funneled massive sums through money laundering operations, with dozens arrested since 2022, many from the state’s large Somali community.

Officials estimate the losses could top $1 billion and possibly reach $9 billion as investigations continue.

Democratic Gov. Tim Walz dropped his reelection bid Monday amid the fallout. President Donald Trump has blasted Omar, Walz and other Minnesota Democrats over the scandal. Walz acknowledged the fraud occurred under his watch but said multibillion-dollar estimates were “sensationalized” by Republicans.

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