Federal agents search Rep. Ilhan Omar's home in criminal investigation

The Big Picture

Federal agents searched the Washington, D.C.-area home of Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., on Monday as part of an ongoing criminal investigation, according to the Justice Department.

A department spokesperson said Homeland Security Investigations, the investigative arm of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, executed a judicially authorized search warrant secured by the Justice Department. The department did not identify Omar in its statement or disclose the subject of the investigation.

The search comes 22 days before the Nov. 3 midterm election, in which Omar is seeking reelection. It immediately prompted accusations from Omar and Democratic leaders that the Trump administration was using federal law enforcement against a political adversary. President Donald Trump said he had no role in the investigation.

What Happened

Homeland Security Investigations agents searched Omar's home Monday morning. A BBC crew outside the residence saw several agents, some carrying boxes to a van.

Federal authorities have not released the warrant or described the alleged conduct under investigation. The Justice Department said only that the enforcement action was part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation.

Reporting based on unnamed sources has described the inquiry differently. Fox News, cited by several outlets, reported that the search concerned possible fraud involving immigration paperwork completed by Omar's late father when she was a child. CBS News reported that investigators were examining potential false-statement and immigration-fraud allegations related to those documents.

NBC News reported that the search is part of a yearslong investigation involving Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. attorney in Minneapolis and the Justice Department. According to one person familiar with the probe, NBC reported, it includes whistleblowers, documents and witness testimony, and extends beyond immigration and fraud issues. Those details have not been confirmed by the Justice Department.

What Each Side Is Saying

Omar said in a social media post that she was OK and called the search an attempt to “target political enemies and weaponize federal law enforcement.” She said Trump had targeted her for years with “baseless lies and smear campaigns” and added: “I will not be silenced.”

Her spokeswoman, Jacklyn Rogers, said Omar “has done nothing wrong” and called the search an “outrageous abuse of power” and an unprecedented escalation in the weaponization of federal law enforcement against political enemies.

Trump told reporters he had “nothing to do with it” and said the matter was up to the Justice Department. He said investigators were looking at Omar “very carefully,” and called her “totally crooked” and “a terrible person.”

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Minority Whip Katherine Clark and Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar called the search “deeply disturbing” and said it raised serious questions about the weaponization of the federal government against Trump’s adversaries. They said they would seek accountability from the Justice and Homeland Security departments.

Why It Matters

The Justice Department has a written policy barring prosecutors and agents from timing investigative steps or public statements to influence an election. The policy does not establish a blanket prohibition on actions within 60 days of an election, but directs officials to seek guidance when timing could raise questions.

The search is drawing particular attention because it took place less than a month before the election and after months of public comments by Trump administration officials about Omar. In September, border czar Tom Homan said Homeland Security Investigations was continuing an investigation into Omar. Omar denied wrongdoing and said at the time that she had not been contacted in connection with an investigation.

Background

Omar was born in Somalia, arrived in the United States as a child refugee and later became a naturalized U.S. citizen. She represents a Minneapolis-area congressional district and was the first Somali American elected to the House. Omar and Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., were the first Muslim women elected to Congress.

Trump and other Republicans have repeatedly accused Omar of immigration-related wrongdoing, allegations she has denied. No charges against Omar were announced Monday, and the Justice Department has not provided an account of what prompted the search.

What Happens Next

It is unclear whether investigators will make additional information public, seek charges or take further action. The Justice Department has not said whether Omar was at the home during the search or what materials agents seized.