One chart lays bare the sprawling fraud network Minnesota officials missed

State data reveals how the fraud ballooned in plain sight

Amanda Macias / Fox News 

What had been a modest stream of taxpayer dollars to Feeding Our Future suddenly became a flood, surging 2,800% in a year, an abrupt spike now at the center of mounting scrutiny and oversight concerns.

The explosive growth occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the organization exploited a federally funded children’s nutrition program run by the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), siphoning off money intended to feed low-income kids. It now stands as the nation's largest COVID-19 fraud case.

Data from the Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor sheds light on how the scheme went unchecked for so long, finding that the MDE oversight was "inadequate" and that its failures "created opportunities for fraud."

State records chart the rise in payments and reveal how the fraud ballooned in plain sight.

According to data from the state audit, payments to Feeding Our Future began in 2019 at $1.4 million.That figure rose to $4.8 million the...Read more, see video and chart here.