Ilhan Omar’s phone seized in possible fraud case in the US — The Guardian
US federal authorities seized the phone of Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar and issued more than a dozen grand jury subpoenas, including to some of her relatives. As The Guardian reports, citing a person familiar with the matter, law enforcement officers are examining possible fraud in Omar’s immigration documents.
Grand jury subpoenas
According to the publication’s source, the subpoenas were issued for a grand jury gathering evidence in Minnesota. The source spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to comment on the ongoing investigation.
The scope of the review is currently unclear. US Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said that law enforcement officers are examining possible crimes related to the immigration documents of Omar’s family.
Search ahead of elections
On Monday, federal agents searched Omar’s home in Washington. This happened three weeks before the November midterm elections, in which she is running for re-election. The Guardian notes that the US Department of Justice has historically sought to avoid public investigative actions involving candidates during the 60 days before a primary or general election.
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US Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said in an interview with Fox News that several investigations involving Omar are ongoing. According to her, her office is also examining issues related to the congresswoman’s financial disclosures.
Democrats condemned the search and said the administration was acting for political reasons. Omar called the law enforcement actions an attempt to persecute political opponents and use federal law enforcement agencies as a tool of pressure. She also said that President Donald Trump had spent ten years spreading unfounded accusations and defamatory campaigns against her.
Omar was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2018. She represents Minnesota’s 5th congressional district, which includes Minneapolis, and is part of the group of progressive lawmakers known as the Squad.
