From Fox News: Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is facing new scrutiny over a 2021 audio recording of him meeting with members of the Somali community who would soon be convicted of defrauding millions of dollars in taxpayer money.
In the recording, now obtained by Fox News, the would-be fraudsters can be heard asking Ellison to help them secure more funding, before the conversation then turns to campaign donations.
“The only way that we can protect what we have is by inserting ourselves into the political arena. Putting our votes where it needs to be. But most importantly, putting our dollars in the right place. And supporting candidates that will fight to protect our interests,” one of the Somalian community members says in the recording.
“That’s right,” Ellison responds.
Ellison later tried to defend himself in an op-ed written for the Minnesota Star Tribune. He claimed, “I took a meeting in good faith with people I didn’t know and some turned out to have done bad things. I did nothing for them and took nothing from them.”
WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW to hear the recording:
After Fox News aired the audio Wednesday morning, Ellison is now scrambling. He just posted the following statement on X:
Listen, you’re going to hear a lot of bullshit from Republicans who would rather play politics than protect Minnesotans money.
The truth is, I am proud to hold the record as the most effective prosecutor of Medicaid and civil fraud. Despite Republican obstruction, my office has prosecuted over 300 criminals and recovered over $70 million for the state.
I have proactively fought consumer fraud by shutting down fraudulent nonprofits, taking on student loan fraudsters, and returning millions to victims of predatory companies.
Let’s be clear: Kristen Robbins, the MN Fraud and Oversight Committee Chair, has resulted in 15 meetings, but zero passed bills and zero cases of fraud.
I have proactively fought consumer fraud by shutting down fraudulent nonprofits, taking on student loan fraudsters, and returning millions to victims of predatory companies.
Let’s be clear: Kristen Robbins, the MN Fraud and Oversight Committee Chair, has resulted in 15…
— Keith Ellison (@keithellison) January 7, 2026
Ellison, 62, was elected as Minnesota Attorney General in 2018, becoming the first African American and the first Muslim to ever hold the seat. He was then re-elected in 2022.
He previously served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from January 2003 – January 2007, and then in the U.S. House of Representatives from January 2007 to January 2019.
READ MORE from Fox News.
“Putting our dollars in the right place.”
Audio of Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison meeting in 2021 with Somali community members who were later convicted in a $250M fraud scheme resurfaced Wednesday. Ellison denies wrongdoing, saying he was unaware of their crimes at…
— Fox News (@FoxNews) January 7, 2026
An old video recently resurfaced of Ellison bragging that he got elected because of Somali voters.
WATCH: Minnesota AG admits Somali votes helped him win election
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