00:00Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Ellison, let me start with you. You're the Attorney General of the State
00:04of Minnesota. Do I have that correct?
00:06That's a yes.
00:08Sir, you're aware of my job. You know the answer to that.
00:11You're not going to answer my questions? Are we going to start this way? Are you the Attorney General of
00:14the State of Minnesota, yes or no?
00:16You know the answer.
00:19Mr. Ellison, you're in my courtroom now. You're under oath. So I suggest that you answer my questions.
00:23You're the Chief Law Enforcement Officer of the State of Minnesota, yes or no?
00:28Now, let's try another question. Are you familiar with the $9 billion in historic fraud out of your state, including
00:33the $250 million in the Feeding Our Future program alone?
00:38Are you familiar with that? Don't turn to the pages in your book to get your potted answers. Are you
00:41familiar with it, yes or no?
00:42Yes, I am familiar with it.
00:44Very familiar, aren't you?
00:45Because the people who ran the Feeding Our Futures program came to you in your official office in the state
00:50capitol of December 11th, 2021, and asked for your help in getting investigators off their backs.
00:57They complained to you for upwards of an hour about state investigators going after them, and they begged you to
01:04help them, and you agreed to it amazingly.
01:07And we know you did, because it's all caught on tape. Every single sentence is caught on tape. Here's what
01:13you said. Let's take a look.
01:15You said it's not a question. You said to them, send me the names of all these folks who are
01:21investigating them.
01:22You said to them, send me their names, and I'll take that list, and I'll call the person over at
01:27education who was investigating them and say, what's going on?
01:30Why am I getting these complaints? Then you went on to say, I already have my team working on this.
01:37What day should we get together to discuss it again?
01:41You made pledge after pledge to them. You said, we've got to make sure this guy who's investigating them stops
01:47it.
01:47You said, you have my attention. I'm concerned about this.
01:51You said, let's go fight these people, meaning the people who were investigating the fraud.
01:57God, why'd you do it? Why'd you help him?
02:00Are you going to let me answer?
02:01Please. We're all ears.
02:03So, first of all, you're cherry-picking quotes out of there.
02:05Why did you help him?
02:06I thought you were going to let me answer.
02:08Why did you help him?
02:08Are you going to let me answer?
02:09Why did you help him?
02:10You let me answer, and I'll answer you.
02:11Tell the truth, and I'll let you answer.
02:13I will tell the truth.
02:14Good. That'd be a nice change. Why'd you help him?
02:15Now, see, Mr. Chairman, I didn't come here to be insulted. I came here voluntarily.
02:20You came here for the truth. Let's have it. Why did you help him?
02:22The quotes are here. They're in black and white, and every member of this audience.
02:26You can listen to the recording. It's 54 minutes long. It's all in public.
02:31You can Google it right now and listen to it.
02:33Right, and listen to it all.
02:34Why'd you help him?
02:36First of all, I didn't help them.
02:37You did help them.
02:38No, I did not. I certainly didn't.
02:40You're saying you didn't do anything for them. You didn't. You didn't.
02:43Well, wait a minute.
02:44I already have my team working on this again. That's not you?
02:46I have my team.
02:48My team assisted with the information that led to the prosecution and conviction of these people.
02:55No, you didn't. You didn't look the finger to prosecute them.
02:57No, you did not.
02:58You didn't look the finger to prosecute them.
02:59No, because it was a federal prosecution.
03:00You had all BS. You had whistleblowers coming to you as early as 2019.
03:04You're the one talking BS.
03:05Hey, listen. It's my time.
03:06You're the one who doesn't know what you're talking about, sir.
03:07Oh, no, sir. You now have encountered the truth, and you don't like it.
03:10Why'd you take their money?
03:12Why'd you take their money?
03:14I didn't.
03:14You took $10,000.
03:17That's a false statement.
03:18$10,000 nine days after the meeting.
03:22False statement.
03:23You took $10,000.
03:24Here's what happened.
03:25They went to your office.
03:27That's a false statement.
03:28They solicited money from you.
03:28They did not come to my office.
03:30That's also wrong.
03:30They came to your office.
03:31It was your official office.
03:33No, they didn't.
03:33You went with them for 54 minutes.
03:35No, they didn't.
03:35They asked you for help.
03:36You pledged it to them, and they talked repeatedly about money.
03:39In fact, it's all they talked about.
03:40That's a lie.
03:41Money, money, money, money.
03:43They said, we will put our dollars in the right place.
03:46We will support candidates that will fight to protect our interests.
03:49You replied, that's right.
03:51They said, if you are securing your donor base and securing your power base,
03:55you can act the way you want.
03:56You replied, money is freedom.
03:58They said, the amount of money circulating in our community today is powerful.
04:05And we haven't realized it in a meaningful way.
04:08And you said, give me the specifics.
04:10And nine days later, you took $10,000 from people who were then indicted.
04:16It's in your reports.
04:17Why did you do it?
04:18Sir, this was just.
04:19Was it worth it?
04:20You know what?
04:21This is a theatrical performance.
04:23This is the truth.
04:24This is what accountability looks like, of which you've had none.
04:27You helped fraudsters defraud your state and this government of $9 billion,
04:32and you got a fat campaign contribution out of it.
04:35This is completely untrue.
04:36You ought to be indicted.
04:37That's the truth.
04:38I think we've made the point.
04:40Let's keep the tenor just a little more calm.
04:41Well, for the record.
04:42Oh, I'll ask how I want to, Senator Paul.
04:43He's lying, and that's the truth.
04:45Oh, no.
04:45This is all on the record, sir.
04:47Oh, no, sir.
04:47Did you bother to investigate where the money that you facilitated their fraud for,
04:52where it went?
04:53Do you know where it went, what it was used for, the fraudulent money?
04:56I do, because we just heard testimony about it yesterday.
04:59Because we were key players in the investigation.
05:02The funds went to hundreds of millions of dollars, to terrorist groups, to transnational
05:05criminal organizations, to the drug trade, to drug trafficking, to child trafficking.
05:10And you took $10,000.
05:12That's a lie.
05:13And helped them do it.
05:14You know, the other thing is, whistleblowers came to you as early as 2019.
05:18Let's look.
05:20As early as 2019.
05:21Don't talk over me.
05:23As early as 2019, it's my hearing, pal.
05:27As early as 2019, whistleblowers came to you.
05:31Well, I should call you a prisoner, because you ought to be in jail.
05:33Well, see what you can do about it.
05:34In 2019, whistleblowers came to you in your office and referred to you fraud allegations
05:40from Feeding Our Futures, and you blew them off.
05:42Listen, your own state newspaper investigated.
05:44That's a lie.
05:44The Minnesota Star Tribune, the Partners in Nutrition, brought its concerns to the Attorney
05:48General's office in 2018 and in 2019, and you did nothing.
05:53You did nothing for years.
05:55The only action you took is, once all these fraudsters came to your office and asked you
05:59to get involved and offered you money, then you got involved.
06:02Then you took the money, and then you got involved.
06:05They did not come to my office.
06:06You're completely wrong about that.
06:08You met with them for 54 minutes, and you took $10,000, and they also gave your family
06:13money.
06:14They gave your family thousands of dollars in campaign contributions, in addition to what
06:18they gave.
06:18This is a false statement.
06:19Let's put the sign back down.
06:20You know, this is completely untrue.
06:22The New York Post.
06:23Yeah, we know the New York Post.
06:25Minnesota Keith Ellison, AG, accepted campaign donations from individuals linked to the $250
06:29million COVID fraud scheme after they were in your office.
06:32The donations came on December 20th.
06:34Sir, this is not-
06:35You met with them on December the 11th, and on January 20th, the FBI knocked over their
06:39headquarters.
06:40No, no.
06:40That's the sequence of events here.
06:42No, it's not the sequence of events.
06:43You've been right at the center of this fraud thing from the beginning.
06:46It's not the sequence of events.
06:47It's untrue.
06:47And you've enabled it.
06:48And, sir, you should resign.
06:51And, sir, you should resign.
06:52I was thinking the same thing about you.
06:54You should resign.
06:54Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
06:55I was thinking the exact same thing about you.
06:57I'm sure after encountering this truth, you are.
06:59Because it hurts to have accountability, doesn't it?
07:01Because after this parade of lies and presentation, I think you should be ashamed for misrepresentation.
07:06Time has expired.
07:07It hurts to have accountability, doesn't it?
07:10I don't know.
07:10I don't know.
07:11I don't know.
07:11I don't know.
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