U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar faces a new federal investigation into her financial disclosures one day after Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents raided her Washington, D.C.-area home as part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation connected to her immigration paperwork.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro confirmed Tuesday that her office is investigating congressional disclosures about businesses owned by Omar's husband, Tim Mynett.
The new probe comes as President Donald Trump renewed his attacks on the Minnesota Democrat on Tuesday, calling her a "terrible person" and "terrible congresswoman."
However, the president said he "doesn't take a position" over whether he wants Omar deported after the HSI raid.
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The search at the home of Omar, a progressive, comes just three weeks before she faces reelection during the midterms.
A naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in Somalia, the congresswoman has denied wrongdoing and accused the Trump administration of weaponizing federal law enforcement against its political opponents.
"Make no mistake: this is an attempt to target political enemies and weaponize federal law enforcement," Omar wrote on X. "For ten years, Trump has targeted me with baseless lies and smear campaigns. This is just the latest escalation in his campaign of political intimidation. I will not be silenced."
She has not been charged with any crime.
Newsweek has reached out to Omar and Pirro's office for further comment.
Jeanine Pirro Confirms Second Investigation Into Omar
The financial investigation was confirmed Tuesday by Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia.
Appearing on Fox News' America Reports, Pirro was asked about a previous review of Omar's financial disclosures by the Office of Congressional Conduct.
Pirro confirmed that the matter was also the subject of an investigation by her office. "It doesn't matter what the House does," she said. "We're looking at the facts. Based upon the facts, we'll follow them wherever they take us."
The inquiry concerns financial disclosures that previously listed Omar and her husband, political consultant Mynett, as holding assets valued in a range of $6 million to $30 million.
Omar later amended the filing, reducing the reported range substantially. Her team attributed the discrepancy to accounting errors.
According to reporting by The Wall Street Journal, the Office of Congressional Conduct recommended that the House Ethics Committee dismiss allegations that Omar may have violated House rules or the law by submitting inaccurate or incomplete financial information.
Pirro's announcement means Omar now faces two distinct areas of federal scrutiny: the criminal investigation connected to the search of her home and the inquiry into her financial disclosures.
Authorities have not publicly established that the two investigations are connected.
After Pirro's appearance, Trump shared a post on Truth Social suggesting that Omar had benefited from fraud in Minnesota, without providing evidence to substantiate the claim.
Omar's office pointed to the previous congressional conduct review when responding to questions about the financial inquiry.
What Happened in the Raid on Ilhan Omar's Home?
Federal agents searched Omar's Washington-area residence before dawn October 12, in an operation the Justice Department confirmed was part of an ongoing criminal investigation.
The search was conducted by HSI, the investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security. A Justice Department spokesperson said agents executed a judicially authorized search warrant, but officials have not publicly detailed the full scope of the investigation.
The search warrant lists several alleged immigration offenses, including false statements and fraud in immigration paperwork, as well as a general conspiracy charge, The New York Times reported, citing a person familiar with the document. Newsweek has not independently reviewed the warrant.
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Fox News reported that the inquiry concerns allegations of fraud involving documents connected to her immigration history and paperwork completed by her late father when she was a child.
The search marked a significant escalation in the scrutiny facing Omar, who represents Minnesota's 5th Congressional District and has been a frequent target of Trump's criticism. The timing has also attracted scrutiny because the search took place only weeks before the midterm elections. The Justice Department has traditionally sought to avoid overt investigative steps involving political candidates close to an election, generally within 60 days, to avoid the appearance of partisan interference.
What Trump Said About Ilhan Omar at His Ohio Rally
Trump used a campaign rally in Youngstown, Ohio, on Monday night to launch another attack on Omar, hours after the search of her home.
The president criticized her Somali origins and questioned her right to invoke the U.S. Constitution.
"She's a disaster. She comes in from a country without laws, without police, without military. All they do is shoot each other, and she comes into our country and she says, 'I have a constitutional right,'" Trump said.
He continued by criticizing Somalia and its people, prompting members of the crowd to chant "deport."
Trump then said: "This is not what we want in this country. We don't want this."
His remarks came amid a broader campaign against Somali immigrants in Minnesota, a community Trump has repeatedly criticized. Omar, the first Somali American elected to Congress, has become one of his most prominent targets.
On Tuesday, the president said he had no personal involvement in the search, while maintaining that authorities were examining Omar closely.
Trump's comments came as Vice President JD Vance said he had not received advance notice of the search. He told reporters that the administration would follow the facts and investigate any credible allegations, adding that officials would not pursue a case if one did not exist.
Could Ilhan Omar Face Deportation?
Born in Somalia, Omar arrived in the United States as a refugee and became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2000.
However, members of the Trump administration, including the president, have alleged that she married her brother to help him enter the United States through the immigration system.
"We know that she married her brother to try to bring him into the United States," Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said in September during an interview with conservative commentator Benny Johnson. Mullin said the administration was investigating Omar's immigration history and suggested that the inquiry could uncover illegal activity.
The claim that Omar married her brother has circulated for years, but it remains unproven. Omar has repeatedly denied the allegation, describing the accusations as baseless. No publicly disclosed evidence has established that she committed immigration fraud through such a marriage.
The investigation into her immigration paperwork has not resulted in publicly announced criminal charges against the congresswoman.
Omar's status as a naturalized citizen also distinguishes her case from those involving noncitizens facing routine deportation proceedings. The administration has not announced that deportation proceedings have begun against her.
When asked directly whether he wanted her removed from the country, Trump declined to take a position.
Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here. Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Gabe Whisnant and Edward T. Cummins