Ilhan Omar Scandal Grows

Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (MN-5) interview with MS NOW’s Chris Hayes raised even more eyebrows amid the ongoing fraud scandals. She answered questions about the federal agents raiding her house and gathering DNA samples, as well as her relationship with her ex-husband, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi.

As reported by the New York Post:

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) on Wednesday called allegations that she married her brother “insane” – but didn’t entirely close the door to the possibility of being related to her ex-husband.

“Not to my knowledge,” Omar responded, when asked by MS NOW’s Chris Hayes if there was any “weird kernel of truth” to the claim that she wed her brother.

The decade-old allegations that Omar and her ex, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, got hitched in a failed effort to get him a green card originated on a “Somali blog,” and spread when “right-wing conspiracy theorists” latched onto it, Omar explained in her first interview since federal agents raided her Washington, DC, home last week.

Congresswoman Omar went on the friendliest media outlet she could find with the friendliest host she could find on MS NOW and still seemed to struggle to answer a question about the allegations that she married her brother to get him into the country. Chris Hayes threw Omar a softball, essentially asking her to confirm that she’s not related to her former husband, and her answer was “Not to my knowledge.”

Maybe it’s presumptuous of me, but I think most people, when asked if their spouse was also their sibling, would have a firm answer. Of course, people on the Left are chalking it up to a simple flub – that she was just speaking off the cuff. Maybe so, but most of us would have no trouble answering that question with a simple yes or no. Preferably, no.

Obviously, we have had issues with a lot of the positions of the Congresswoman for a very long time – particularly her unabashed disdain for Israel. But I will grant her that in this conversation, she has a point that, optically, the timing of all this is questionable. It falls within that 30-to-90-day window when the DOJ has policies against conducting certain investigative activities to avoid interfering with an election. So, to some degree, that makes it easier for her to make this investigation and the raid on her home seem like political gameplay.

At the same time, a magistrate judge appointed in D.C., where the district courts are not generally conservative, signed off on the warrant. You must show probable cause for the judge to sign off on this, especially this close to an election. And with a sitting Congresswoman, you’d think a judge would be more hesitant to sign off on it, given the timing.

It was also unusual that amidst all this recent activity, Omar, who never misses an opportunity to get on TikTok and on X and in front of cameras to make her statements decrying the Trump Administration and conservatives, seemed to go quiet. And now she resurfaces for this head-scratcher interview in friendly territory. Perhaps this was her PR team pushing her to get back out there with the midterms looming.

Though there’s an argument to be made that a smarter move would be not to do this interview: She’s at little to no risk of losing her seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. It seems wiser to wait until after the election and then come out and say whatever she needs to say. Right now, an ongoing investigation could result in criminal charges, and you risk doing more damage than good by going public right now. Especially when your answers aren’t the most reassuring.

The reality is her supporters will back her no matter what the Right says. And most of her detractors probably aren’t watching MS NOW anyway, so what was the upside?

Today’s Sekulow broadcast included more analysis of Ilhan Omar’s bizarre interview and whether it will help or hurt her case with the American people. We also discussed the news that the House Judiciary Committee has subpoenaed the New Jersey Secretary of State for information about the state registering over 6,000 noncitizens on its voter rolls.

Watch the full broadcast below: