The circus came to town in Washington on February 13, 2026, and Minnesota’s Attorney General Keith Ellison was the star clown under the big top. The Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing turned into a full-on brawl, with GOP senators like Josh Hawley and Ron Johnson unloading on Ellison like artillery on a battlefield. The guy got feisty, alright—snapping back, smirking like he owned the place, and denying everything while the facts piled up like bodies in a bad war movie. But was he accused fairly? Damn right he was, and the evidence isn’t some liberal fever dream—it’s cold, hard reality that’s been brewing since the pandemic fraud bonanza. Let’s dissect this mess, because America’s First means calling out the crooks, even if they’re hiding behind a badge.
The Feeding Our Future Fiasco: $250 Million Vanishes, Ellison’s Pockets Get Fatter
This all kicks off with the Feeding Our Future scandal, where $250 million in federal bucks meant to feed hungry kids during COVID got siphoned off like a leaky gas tank. We’re talking luxury cars, houses, and overseas real estate bought with your tax dollars. Over 78 defendants charged since 2022, with trials wrapping up as late as March 2025—folks like Ikram Mohamed awaiting judgment and Salim Said already convicted on 21 counts. Federal prosecutors nailed it as one of the biggest pandemic rip-offs, starting back in 2020 when the nonprofit and its cronies faked meal distributions to pocket the cash.
Enter Ellison: Accused of being knee-deep in it. Hawley blasted him for meeting with fraudsters on December 11, 2021—audio leaks show him vowing to “help any way he could.” Just days later, Ellison and his son raked in $10,000 in campaign donations from those same Somali community figures tied to the scam. Hawley didn’t hold back: “You helped fraudsters defraud your state and this government of $9 billion—and you got a fat campaign contribution out of it.” Wait, $9 billion? That’s the total improper payments ballooning from the mess, but the core Feeding Our Future hit was $250 million. Point is, Hawley called it bribery plain and simple, saying Ellison enabled the whole thing from the jump and should be indicted, not just resign.
Ellison fired back, calling it all lies and demanding Hawley quit instead. But the tape doesn’t lie—it’s out there, released by conservatives in April 2025, contradicting Ellison’s claims that his office was the hero who flagged the fraud to the FBI. Sure, they did report suspicions in 2021, leading to January 2022 raids and September 2022 indictments of 48 people, including founder Aimee Bock. But why the cozy meeting and the quick cash infusion? Smells like corruption, and Hawley’s right—this guy’s been at the center, profiting while Minnesota got robbed blind.
Watching Keith Ellison getting gutted like a perch by Josh Hawley is deliriously great fun. pic.twitter.com/D8gniQspxT
— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) February 12, 2026
Blood on the Streets: Ellison’s Protest Push and Two Dead Americans
But wait, there’s more carnage. The hearing wasn’t just about stolen dough; it dove into the bloody chaos of January 2026 in Minneapolis. Federal agents under Operation Metro Surge were cracking down on immigration violators, and protests erupted like wildfires. On January 7, ICE shot and killed Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen, sparking thousands to hit the streets. Then, on January 24, Border Patrol agents gunned down Alex Jeffrey Pretti, another American, 37, a lawful gun owner with no real rap sheet beyond traffic tickets. Pretti approached agents with a handgun amid the unrest, but witnesses say it was defensive—feds fired at least 10 shots in five seconds, per video footage.
Ron Johnson unloaded on Ellison for egging on these protests, accusing him of “putting people in harm’s way” and being complicit in the deaths. “A tragedy was going to happen, and you encouraged it, and you ought to feel damn guilty about it,” Johnson thundered. He claimed Ellison pushed folks to obstruct ICE, ramming vehicles and chucking rocks, turning Good and Pretti into “martyrs” for the cause. And when Ellison smirked during the grilling? Johnson lost it: “Sit there and smirk. It’s sick. It is despicable.”
Ellison denied it all—”Everything you said was untrue. It was a nice theatrical performance, but it was all lies.” He insisted his office backed peaceful protests under the First Amendment, not violence. But let’s get real: As AG, Ellison subpoenaed by DOJ in January 2026 for interfering with federal ops, filed lawsuits against the feds, and rallied against the crackdown. Protests turned ugly, with agents blocked and scenes locked down—state investigators denied access to both shooting sites, a first in decades. DOJ’s probing Pretti’s death for civil rights violations, but not Good’s. Johnson’s spot on—Ellison’s rhetoric fueled the fire, and two Americans paid the ultimate price.
Ellison told Congress that he didn’t encourage people to put themselves in harm’s way.
But here he is saying that “protesters” are “putting their bodies on the line.”
How can that possibly be reconciled? https://t.co/kiCtmb8Art pic.twitter.com/HGhEZs480x
— Walter Hudson (@WalterHudson) February 13, 2026
The Accusers: Hawley and Johnson Bring the Heat, Ellison Brings the Denials
Who lit the fuse? Josh Hawley led the fraud charge, hammering Ellison under oath about the meetings, tapes, and donations. “You’re under oath,” Hawley barked, suggesting jail time. Ron Johnson piled on with the safety angle, calling out the smirk and the guilt. Even Rep. Tom Emmer chimed in, blasting Ellison for tying law enforcement’s hands to protect criminals.
Ellison got feisty, alright—retorting, denying, and playing victim: “I did not come here to be insulted. I came here voluntarily.” But voluntary or not, the facts don’t budge. The audio’s real, the donations timed perfectly, the protests deadly. Recent revelations? That December 2021 tape resurfaced in full force during the hearing, and the January 2026 shootings are fresh wounds, with memorials still standing in Minneapolis streets as of February 15.
Verdict: The Accusers Nailed It—Ellison’s Toast
In the end, Hawley and Johnson were dead right. Ellison’s accused of enabling a $250 million fraud fest, pocketing bribes disguised as donations, and stoking protests that left two Americans dead in the snow. The evidence—tapes, timelines, federal charges—stacks up like cordwood. This isn’t theater; it’s treason against taxpayers and public safety. Minnesota deserves better than a smirking AG who plays both sides. Time to clean house, because America’s First means no mercy for the corrupt. If Ellison won’t resign, the voters—or the courts—should drag him out.