In July 2019, Minnesota state officials spotted early signs of fraud that would eventually siphon away more than $1 billion in taxpayer money , but they quickly faced pressure from leaders of the charitable group Feeding Our Future to stop asking questions, according to multiple former employees at the Minnesota Department of Education.

The scandal , which has already led to 61 convictions, has widely been viewed as a byproduct of the COVID-19 pandemic. At one point, then-Attorney General Merrick Garland called it "the largest pandemic relief fraud scheme" in the United States.

Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick said those convicted "took advantage of the Covid-19 pandemic to carry out a massive fraud scheme that stole money meant to feed children."

But state officials

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