Zaynab Mohamed (D) is a state senator in her first term representing a south Minneapolis district (SD 63). She is running for re-election next month.
Perusing her 2026 campaign finance report, a name jumped out at me, Jamal Hashi.
The name jumped out because a Jamal Hashi also was a past campaign donor to attorney general Keith Ellison and also provided his profession as “chef.”
“So what?” you ask. This earlier Jamal Hashi was linked to, but never charged in, the Feeding Our Future fraud scandal. Hashi’s name came up during the courtroom trial of Feeding Our Future CEO Aimee Bock last year. He was so closely linked, however, that Ellison felt obligated in December 2025 to forward his December 2021 $2,500 campaign donation to the U.S. Department of Justice, along with other Feeding Our Future-linked donations.
The above $10,000 in Ellison donations were all received at the same December 20, 2021, fundraiser featuring exclusively donors linked to Feeding Our Future. Gandi Yusuf Mohamed (listed above) was convicted in the fraud and is scheduled to be sentenced early next year.
Zaynab Mohamed accepted Jamal Hashi’s 2026 donation after Keith Ellison returned a Jamal Hashi donation.
For her part, Zaynab Mohamed had received three earlier donations from a Jamal Hashi. Over the years, Sen. Mohamed has received a total of $2,000 under the name Jamal Hashi, chef.
Jamal Hashi, chef, is also listed as making a $2,800 donation to U.S. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar and a $1,000 donation to a Washington State political candidate named Shukri Olow.
Curious.