category
Dec 9, 2025
Transcript: Rep. Ilhan Omar on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," Dec. 7, 2025
CBS News
The following is the transcript of the interview with Rep. Ilhan Omar, Democrat of Minnesota, that aired on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" on Dec. 7, 2025.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And we're joined now by Minnesota Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar. Welcome to the program.
REP. ILHAN OMAR: Thank you, Margaret.
REP. OMAR: We have a lot to get to with you, but I want to pick up on where the Treasury Secretary just left off. He alleged that people who were tied to you or your campaign were involved in this broad, brazen scheme to rip off the Minnesota state welfare system. Do you want to respond to that? Do you know what he is referring to?
REP. OMAR: I really don't, and I don't think the Secretary himself understands what he's referring to. We obviously had people who were able to donate to our campaign that were involved. We sent that money back a couple years ago. And actually, I was one of the first members of Congress to send a letter to the Secretary of Ag asking them to look into what I thought was a reprehensible fraud that was occurring within the program.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So this was just for our audience. The Biden-era Justice Department called it the largest COVID fraud scheme in the country, and this was pocketing COVID-era welfare funds, more than a billion dollars in taxpayer money that was stolen. It was pretty, pretty shocking. Of the 87 people charged, all but eight are of Somali descent, and that has added to the spotlight being put specifically on your community. Why do you think this fraud was allowed to get so widespread?
REP. OMAR: I want to say, you know, this also has an impact on Somalis, because we are also taxpayers in Minnesota. We also could have benefited from the program and the money that was stolen. And so it's been really frustrating for people to not acknowledge the fact that we're, you know, we're also as Minnesotans as taxpayers, really upset and angry about the fraud that has occurred.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So do you think
