Feeding Our Future trial continues with testimony

After opening statements concluded on Monday, prosecutors called to the stand Emily Honer, who oversees the free-food programs for the state Dept. of Education (MDE).

Her testimony began Monday afternoon and ran for the full five hours that the court sat on Tuesday. She was back on the stand Wednesday morning. After Honer, the trial moved on to testimony from FBI special agent Jared Kary. Agent Kary finished out the first week of the trial on the stand.

Deena Winter of MN Reformer has been in the courtroom for the first three days this week, live posting on Twitter (X).

Honer has been providing the court with background on the programs and the alarms raised at MDE by the massive growth of Empire Cuisine and Market’s operation. Winter quotes Honer,

Winter filed her report on Day 2’s proceedings here. Her Day 3 report was filed here.

Kelly Smith of the Minneapolis Star Tribune also filed a report on Day 2 and provided the Strib’s summary of Day 3 of testimony.

Joey Peters of the Sahan Journal provides his take on the Day 2 developments here. He reports on the defense strategy to make MDE out as the villain of the piece,

Defense attorneys in the Feeding Our Future trial suggested that Minnesota officials reported alleged fraud to the FBI because a lawsuit accused state officials of discriminating against East African business owners.

Scott Johnson of PowerLine attended the opening statements on Monday morning in Federal court. He filed a report here. You may recall that Scott attended the first press conference held by U.S. Attorney Andy Luger on the case back in 2022. AlphaNews incorporates his take in their report.

We have news regarding a Feeding Our Future defendant not on trial this week. Asad Abshir (Defendant No. 11) is asking to make his fourth trip to Turkey since his arret in the case.