FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACT:
Amanda Tinsley
651-491-9946
Amanda.Tinsley@house.mn.gov
Media Update
Members of the press,
Today, House Republicans voted to take HF 20 from the table and pass it to restore transparency in how the Attorney General operates. The vote comes in light of yesterday's breaking news about AG Ellison scheming with Feeding our Future defendants who later donated to his campaign.
House Democrats once again voted against transparency along party lines, enabling the embattled Attorney General to continue hiding important information from the public.
I've included GOP Floor Leader Niska's statement from yesterday below. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Amanda
House Republicans Respond to Audio Recording Between Ellison and Feeding our Future Defendants
St. Paul, MN— House Republican Floor Leader Rep. Harry Niska (R-Ramsey) issued the following statement regarding the release of an audio recording featuring Attorney General Keith Ellison in conversation with criminal defendants involved in the federal "Feeding Our Future" trial. In the recording, Ellison pledges support for the defendants, and campaign contributions are discussed.
“It’s disturbing to learn that Attorney General Ellison met with and offered verbal support to criminal defendants at the heart of the largest pandemic fraud scam in the country. He was even offered campaign contributions in this meeting, which he later accepted. The Attorney General must immediately release all public documents and correspondence related to his meetings and conversations with these individuals, and explain to the public why he felt it was necessary or appropriate to meet with them, let alone offer the support of his office.
“Earlier this session, Democrats voted to block legislation that would give taxpayers more transparency into the operations of the AG’s office. This incident underscores the need for that legislation and raises questions about why Democrats blocked it in the first place.”
On February 20th, House Democrats unanimously voted to block House File 20 which would have narrowed the scope of Attorney General Office data that is classified as private, making more information about business conducted by Attorney General available to the public.
Ellison’s office was criticized by two former senior members of the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office in late 2022 for its handling of the case and failure to use broad investigative powers to collect bank records and other financial documents well before federal authorities got involved. Ellison did not launch an investigation into Feeding our Future until February, 2022, two months after his meeting with the defendants.
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