President Donald Trump said earlier this month that the Department of Justice is examining the finances of Rep. Ilhan Omar, but scrutiny of the Minnesota Democrat did not begin under the current administration. According to prior reporting, a federal review of Omar’s financial dealings dates back to 2024, when the Department of Justice was led by President Joe Biden.
The New York Times reported that individuals familiar with the matter said the investigation was opened to examine Omar’s personal finances, campaign spending, and interactions with a foreign citizen. The inquiry reportedly began in June 2024 within the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C., but attracted little public attention until Trump raised it publicly on Truth Social.
In that post, Trump said that federal prosecutors and Congress were looking into Omar, adding that she “left Somalia with nothing” and is now “reportedly worth more than $44 million dollars.” He concluded by saying, “Time will tell all.”
Omar has denied any wrongdoing. Earlier this month, she dismissed the allegations and said the repeated reviews had produced nothing of substance. “They have been doing this sort of weird ethics investigation,” Omar said. “Nothing has yielded anything because I have been as transparent as I can be.”
She escalated her rhetoric on Monday, accusing Trump of deflection and political desperation. “Sorry, Trump your support is collapsing and you’re panicking,” she said. “Right on cue, you’re deflecting from your failures with lies and conspiracy theories about me. Years of ‘investigations’ have found nothing. Get your goons out of Minnesota.”
Despite her denials, new questions have emerged about sharp increases in the value of assets listed on Omar’s congressional financial disclosures. Political commentator Benny Johnson highlighted one example involving a winery tied to Omar. In her 2023 disclosure, the winery, listed under ESTCRU LLC and located in Santa Rosa, California, was valued between $15,000 and $50,000. In her 2024 disclosure, the same asset was listed as being worth between $1 million and $5 million.
Another notable jump involved Rose Lake Capital LLC, a venture capital firm. Omar valued that asset between $1,000 and $15,000 in 2023. In 2024, the reported value rose dramatically to between $5 million and $25 million. While congressional disclosure rules do not require exact figures, members are required to select the correct valuation range.
Republicans say the rapid changes raise serious red flags. House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, who represents Minnesota, said the situation demands further investigation. He pointed to Omar’s alleged proximity to the massive Feeding Our Future fraud scandal, which involved roughly $250 million in pandemic aid and has been described as the largest such fraud case in the country.
“This needs to be investigated,” Emmer said. “She was right at the center of the Somali fraudster operation called Feeding Our Future.” He added, “I don’t know what she’s doing, but I suspect it’s not legal.”
Republicans are also questioning how Omar and her husband’s combined net worth could have increased by as much as $30 million in a single year, based on the ranges listed in her disclosures.
The House Oversight Committee has launched its own probe into Omar’s finances. Chairman James Comer said staff attorneys will be examining both Omar and her husband. “There are a lot of questions as to how her husband accumulated so much wealth over the past two years,” Comer said. “It’s not possible. It’s not. I’m a money guy. It’s not possible.”
Comer said Congress intends to get answers, whether through the Ethics Committee or the Oversight Committee, as questions surrounding Omar’s finances continue to grow.
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