Is Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison edging closer to serious legal trouble? While the far-left Democrat has recently drawn attention for defending activists who disrupted a Minneapolis church, it is the massive Somali fraud scandal that now sits at the center of a new and potentially explosive report.
According to Fox News, audio recordings allegedly exist in which Ellison is offered campaign donations by individuals later convicted in a massive Somali fraud scheme — in exchange for “getting the money flowing again.” The meeting reportedly took place in 2021.
The key question is what audio Fox News is referencing. The outlet says the recording came from the attorney representing Aimee Bock, one of the ringleaders in a $250 million fraud operation targeting federal nutrition programs. Bock is now in prison, something Ellison has used to question her credibility. But recorded audio, if authentic, cannot be dismissed so easily.
A closer look suggests the audio may stem from the same 2021 meeting first made public in April 2025. In an earlier clip from that meeting, Ellison can be heard offering assistance to individuals who would later be convicted in the fraud scheme. In that recording, the participants are not heard explicitly offering anything in return — but it is known that more of the conversation occurred beyond what was initially released.
Another clip from that same meeting appears far more damaging. In early January, Fox News host Dana Perino described audio in which, after Ellison offered to help these individuals push back against investigations into their activities, they later funneled campaign money into his coffers.
In the next part of the exchange, the man speaking is not speaking in general political terms but clearly references direct financial support for Ellison.
Taken together, the pattern is deeply troubling. The fraudsters are heard asking Ellison to help stop investigations into their activities, promising monetary support because he would “protect our interests.” Pair that with Ellison’s pledge to make calls and use the power of his office to help them, and the outlines of a potential quid pro quo come sharply into focus.
The unresolved issue is whether Fox News has obtained additional audio that is even more explicit, or whether the network is relying on previously known recordings. If new audio exists, it must be released for the public to judge whether it materially advances the case.
Either way, the situation raises serious red flags. Given the timeline and the nature of the requests being made, it strains credibility to believe Ellison did not know the people he was dealing with were under investigation for fraud — especially since they were directly asking him to help quash probes into their activities. He appeared willing to engage, and notably, he only returned the campaign donations once the scandal became public.
Ultimately, the responsibility lies with the Department of Justice to determine whether the evidence supports a prosecutable and winnable case. While the facts may appear straightforward to outside observers, prosecutors must build a case that can survive in court.
Still, considering Ellison’s long history of partisan maneuvering and controversy, this matter demands full scrutiny. If the audio confirms what is being alleged, it could mark one of the most serious corruption scandals in Minnesota political history.
