SAINT PAUL, Minn. — The woman at the center of the alleged $250 million "Feeding our Future" meal fraud scheme has fired back against the Minnesota Department of Education, alleging lies and a cover-up, in a counterclaim filed in civil court.
The document presents Aimee Bock's side of the story for the first time since she was charged with wire fraud, federal programs bribery, and conspiracy.
In all, 70 people are charged in connection to the Feeding our Future case, in which federal prosecutors say the defendants stole $250 million that was meant to feed children during the COVID-19 pandemic while they weren't in school.
The Minnesota Department of Education was tasked with overseeing the meal program locally -- sending reimbursement payments to non-profits like Feeding our Future which sponsored the individual meal sites.
Before federal agents raided Feeding our Future's offices, MDE tried to stop Feeding our Future from sponsoring more sites, which led to the nonprofit suing MDE and convincing a judge to side with her.
After Feeding our Future executive director Aimee Bock and dozens of others were charged, MDE sued them back-- alleging abuse of process -- saying Feeding our Future's lawsuit was intended to allow them to continue committing fraud.
Now Bock claims:
- MDE ignored Bock's concerns about potential fraud. Bock cites a couple of examples, including that she flagged the "House of Refuge" to MDE for requesting an excessive payment. House of Refuge's leader Sharon Ross has since pleaded guilty.
- Bock claims MDE lied to the FBI, for example by telling them there was "no food" being served at Feeding our Future sites.
- Bock also claims MDE used burner phones, deleted and hid documents and used other tactics to prevent Feeding our Future from getting info from MDE for its lawsuit.
In a statement to KARE 11 News, Bock wrote in part:
"It is particularly concerning that some of the MDE people the federal agents are talking to are the same people we have evidence hiding and destroying evidence."
Bock is now asking for a jury trial in the civil case -- making a counterclaim against MDE alleging "intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress" and other claims.
An MDE spokesperson issued a statement: "Ms. Bock's recent legal claims are simply the latest example of her abusing the court system to deflect attention from her own misconduct. Our attorneys have moved to dismiss her claims, and we feel confident the Attorney General's Office will be successful."
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