A federal investigation into Minnesota’s massive fraud schemes is widening, with the Trump Department of Justice now examining the actions of Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison following the release of a 2021 audio recording and newly obtained documents tied to campaign donations and alleged fraudsters.

Fox News correspondent Alexis McAdams reported that sources say federal authorities have shifted their focus to Ellison after Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announced he would not seek reelection.

“Investigation into these fraud allegations is far from over, but sources are telling Fox again this morning that now that Governor Tim Walz says he's not going to run for re election, the feds are also shifting their focus to the State's Attorney General Keith Ellison,” McAdams said.

McAdams explained that Fox News obtained an audio clip recorded in 2021 showing Ellison meeting with a group later arrested in one of Minnesota’s largest fraud cases.

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“Why? Because a newly obtained clip by Fox that we just got yesterday, that was from 2021 has Ellison meeting in this recording with a group of people who are asking for his help,” she said.

“The problem is, those people, you guys, were then, just days later, arrested for one of the biggest fraud scandals in the state.”

In the audio recording, an unidentified individual is heard discussing political support in exchange for protection of their interests.

“The only way 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,” the unidentified person said.

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Ellison responded on the recording, “That's right.”

The unidentified individual continued, “You can only protect our interests when we have your back and you don't have to worry about who's behind you.”

McAdams said officials are now questioning why Ellison met with the group at all, given that they were allegedly seeking help securing additional federal funding while offering votes and campaign donations in return.

“So now officials are saying, why was Ellison meeting with this group in the first place, they were asking him to help them get more federal funding, offering votes and campaign donations for support,” she said.

According to McAdams, the audio clip is part of a broader investigation into widespread fraud across Minnesota.

Ellison’s office has pointed to an opinion piece he wrote in a local newspaper defending his actions.

McAdams summarized his position, saying Ellison wrote, “I took a meeting of 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.”

However, documents obtained by the Center for the American Experiment indicate that some of the individuals Ellison met with later donated to his campaign.

“But documents obtained by the Center for the American experiment say some of those non convicted Somali fraudsters that he met with donated money to Ellison's campaign after that meeting,” McAdams said. She added that Ellison later returned the donations after the group was indicted.

McAdams said the investigation connects to the broader Feeding Our Future scandal, which involved roughly $250 million in fraudulent activity.

She noted that Fox News obtained a nearly hour-long recording of the 2021 meeting from the attorney representing Amy Bach.

“For people wondering who that is, there in your screen, she's the Minnesota woman who was one of many convicted last year in that $250 million Feeding Our Future scam,” McAdams said.

Bach is currently serving a prison sentence, but her legal team has raised questions about accountability at the highest levels of state government.

McAdams said Bach’s attorney asked, “Where is the accountability for the governor and the Attorney General,” adding that, according to him, “the state let the fraud happen.”

During a separate exchange on the segment, McAdams asked community member Kenneth Udoibok about political accountability.

“Do you think some of these politicians should be held accountable?” she asked.

Udoibok responded, “I would like to see someone, someone in the state. I don't care what is the governor. I don't care whether it is the attorney general.”

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