Once upon a time in the not-so-great land of Fraud City, USA—otherwise known as Minneapolis—a fairy tale of deceit unfolded involving fake meals, real taxpayer dollars, and some undeniably shady dealings. Amidst this potpourri of political intrigue and enrichment stood a congresswoman named Ilhan Omar, who, by some astonishing sleight of hand, seemed to have morphed from being one of the poorest congressional members to someone whose net worth rivals that of a small nation, all within a blink of an eye. Can someone say jackpot?

In this dizzying tale of cunning and cash, a whopping near half-billion bucks were wrongfully funneled, not to any legitimate cause, but to a bogus “Meals for All” initiative during the COVID-19 pandemic. The promise was to fill the hungry bellies of disadvantaged children. Instead, it seems it was a case of feeding monopoly money to imaginary friends. Ninety players in this scheme—many of whom were from the Somali community in Minneapolis—have been identified and charged. The latest tally suggests this fraud exceeds $500 million.

In a soap-opera twist, Ilhan Omar, the Democrat firebrand elected with Somali community backing, is at the heart of these claims. She is not only a representative of the people but, as some allege, possibly of the pocketbook. Critics point out legislation she authored, innocently titled the “Meals Act,” which allowed generous oversights that, conveniently, let fraudsters frolic with federal funds sans significant scrutiny. But the plot thickens! Her wealthy-spouse, Tim Mynett, is hilariously—or should we say suspiciously?—linked to the sudden boom of a very prosperous venture capital firm. Where there’s smoke, there’s usually fire, folks.

Now, you might ask, how exactly does the lady jump from being in debt to boasting potentially $30 million in assets? Enter stage right: swooning-at-the-finances husband Mynett, whose new project, Rose Lake Capital, magically ballooned in worth. Curious minds are wondering: who are their clients, and how did such value appear overnight? Touted in glittering terms with over $60 billion in previous assets under his belt, both confusion and intrigue mount. If the pitch of Mynett’s rising fortune doesn’t make you wonder, then maybe you’re asleep at the wheel.

While regular working families scrounge to pay the bills and keep food on the table, Ilhan Omar’s financial theatrics deserve a standing ovation in the hall of alleged corruption. Or perhaps, better yet, thorough forensic accounting. Calls for federal scrutiny and investigations into this new American Dream story resound with rightful urgency. So what’s next, you ask? Well, it’s popcorn time, because until somebody peels back all the layers of this tangled web, every plot twist point to a need for serious answering. It’s high time for the Treasury and Justice Department to take center stage and sort out this blockbuster drama. If the price of justice is truth, let’s hope it’s not just another tally in this Washington fantasy theater.