Minnesota AG Dares GOP Senator To Try To Throw Him in Jail During Explosive Hearing: ‘I Should Call You Prisoner’

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison (D) dared Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) to try to throw him in jail during an explosive exchange at a Thursday Senate hearing.

Ellison was one of multiple witnesses to appear before the Senate Homeland Security Committee on Thursday, and Hawley focused his question on fraud within the state of Missouri. The line of questioning led to Hawley flat-out accusing Ellison of being a criminal and both men demanding the other resign.

Hawley and Ellison threw down over a group convicted of fraud in the state during the Covid-19 pandemic. The group, Feeding Our Futures, was found to have defrauded a federal child nutrition program for around $250 million.

Hawley brought up reports that Ellison’s campaign received $10,000 from the group and suggested it was quid pro quo and he should be indicted. Ellison denied taking money directly from the group to help in any investigation.

“It’s my hearing, pal!” Hawley warned Ellison as he continued to deny the accusations from the senator.

“I’m not your pal. Don’t call me pal!” Ellison shot back.

“Well, I should call you ‘prisoner’ because you should be in jail,” Hawley said as he accused Ellison of ignoring accusations of fraud against Feeding Our Futures.

“Well, see what you can do about it,” Ellison defiantly said.

“In 2019, whistleblowers came to you in your office and referred to you fraud allegations from feeding our futures and you blow them off,” Hawley said, referring to a report from the Minnesota Star Tribune suggesting whistleblowers brought up the fraud years prior to the group getting caught.

“That’s a lie,” Ellison said, adding later, “They did not come to my office. You’re completely wrong about that. I did not take anybody’s money.”

The two continued debating whether reports of the $10,000 campaign contribution were true until things wrapped up with the pair each demanding the other’s resignation.

“You’ve been right at the center of this fraud thing from the beginning, and you’ve enabled it,” Hawley said. “And sir, you should resign.”

“Sir, you should resign,” Ellison responded. “I was thinking the same thing about you. I was thinking the exact same thing about you.”

Watch above via CSPAN.

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