Phone seizure comes three weeks ahead of November midterm elections
Federal authorities seized the phone of Representative Ilhan Omar and issued grand jury subpoenas to more than a dozen people — including some of her relatives — in a criminal probe of potential fraud in her immigration paperwork, according to a person briefed on the inquiry.
The subpoenas were issued for a Minnesota grand jury collecting evidence in the case, said the person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation. The same investigation led federal agents to search Omar’s Washington home on Monday, three weeks before November midterm elections in which the Minnesota Democrat is seeking re-election.
The scope of the investigation is unclear. Markwayne Mullin, the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, has suggested that authorities were examining potential crimes related to her family’s immigration paperwork.
Separately, Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, told Fox News in a Tuesday interview that “there are several investigations going on” related to Omar and said her office was also looking into issues concerning the lawmaker’s financial disclosures. “If there was a crime that was committed, it will be prosecuted,” Pirro said.
A message seeking comment was left on Wednesday with a representative for Omar. Her office did not immediately respond.
The Monday search drew swift condemnation from Democrats, who accused the administration of targeting Omar for political purposes. In a statement on X, Omar called the search “an attempt to target political enemies and weaponize federal law enforcement.”
“For 10 years, Trump has targeted me with baseless lies and smear campaigns,” she said. “This is just the latest escalation in his campaign of political intimidation. I will not be silenced.”
Although Republican focus on Omar’s background dates back years, the search took place roughly three weeks before the November midterms, which will determine control of the House and the Senate. The Justice Department has historically sought to avoid public investigative actions involving a candidate within 60 days of a primary or general election — a window the home search has already entered.
Omar, a Democrat first elected to the House in 2018, represents Minnesota’s fifth district, including Minneapolis. She is a member of “the Squad,” a group of progressive lawmakers who have endured repeated attacks from President Trump dating to his first term. She was one of the first two Muslim-American women in the House and the first African refugee elected to Congress.