Partners in Nutrition to Dissolve and Pay $18.5M in Minnesota Child Nutrition Fraud Settlement
- Partners in Nutrition has agreed to surrender $18,517,909.27 and dissolve its operations under a civil settlement finalized on September 25, 2026, with the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office.
- Under the terms of the settlement, Partners in Nutrition will pay $18,517,909.27, which represents all remaining funds in the organization’s possession.
- Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison noted operational parallels between this case and the separate federal investigation into the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme.
Partners in Nutrition has agreed to surrender $18,517,909.27 and dissolve its operations under a civil settlement finalized on September 25, 2026, with the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office. The agreement resolves allegations that the nonprofit submitted false reimbursement claims to the Minnesota Department of Education for federally funded child-nutrition programs between October 2020 and February 2022.
Civil Settlement Terms and Financial Penalties
Under the terms of the settlement, Partners in Nutrition will pay $18,517,909.27, which represents all remaining funds in the organization’s possession. In addition to forfeiting the money, the nonprofit must surrender additional records detailing its work as a food-program sponsor before completing its dissolution. State authorities warned that any failure to comply with the agreement could expose the organization to an additional $1 million civil penalty.
According to the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office, the state’s lawsuit alleged that Partners in Nutrition claimed reimbursements for meals that were never actually served. State officials also accused the nonprofit of failing to maintain effective oversight of the various food-distribution sites operating under its sponsorship. Fox 9 reported that the nonprofit agreed to dissolve as an entity and provide the required documentation regarding its administrative role.
State Investigation and Comparisons to Prior Scandals
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison noted operational parallels between this case and the separate federal investigation into the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme. However, Ellison distinguished the conduct of Partners in Nutrition’s leadership from the widespread direct theft uncovered in that prior federal case.
The level of culpability of people in Feeding our Future was widespread. At Partners in Nutrition, certain individuals unmistakably disregarded warning signs and looked the other way, and portions of that conduct may even merit deeper investigation. Conversely, the outright embezzlement practiced by executives within Feeding our Future proved to be far more pervasive.
Keith Ellison
Ellison confirmed that at least one person associated with Partners in Nutrition has been referred for potential criminal prosecution, adding that additional referrals remain possible as state investigations continue. Because the Attorney General’s Office holds strictly civil legal authority over federal child nutrition fraud, any future criminal charges would depend entirely on federal prosecutors or an appropriate county attorney. The civil settlement itself does not establish individual criminal guilt.