Report: Omar’s Sister Voluntarily Spoke With Federal Agents After Raid
A sister of Rep. Ilhan Omar voluntarily spoke with federal agents, Reuters reported Friday, citing a person familiar with the investigation. The account adds a new detail to the scrutiny surrounding the Minnesota Democrat and her family, though it does not reveal what the sister discussed.
Reuters did not identify the sister or report that she accused Omar of wrongdoing. The account also did not say that she had entered a formal cooperation agreement.
The reported conversation is distinct from the compulsory legal demands investigators have issued for information. Reuters’ account describes a relative choosing to speak with agents; separate reporting says authorities have also used grand jury subpoenas to seek information from family members.
The Associated Press reported that investigators issued more than a dozen subpoenas as part of an inquiry into potential fraud involving Omar’s immigration paperwork. A person briefed on the investigation told AP that some subpoenas went to relatives. AP also reported that authorities seized Omar’s phone during a search of her Washington residence.
The subpoenas were issued for a grand jury gathering evidence in Minnesota, AP reported. Together, the reports describe investigators pursuing information from multiple sources. They do not disclose what the sister told agents or establish what investigators may have learned from the subpoenas or the search.
Earlier reporting identified Omar’s sister, Sahra Noor, as a subpoena recipient. The National News Desk reported that Noor and at least one other relative received subpoenas, citing The New York Times.
That identification does not establish that Noor is the sister Reuters described as having voluntarily spoken with agents. The available reporting does not say whether the two accounts concern the same person.
The investigation reportedly concerns information submitted during family immigration and citizenship proceedings decades ago. The Washington Post reported that investigators were examining Omar’s birth date and her late father’s background, issues that could bear on the circumstances of her citizenship.
The newspaper also reported a separate inquiry into financial disclosures. The reported subjects therefore involve distinct investigative questions; the available accounts do not establish the conclusions investigators have reached.
Omar has denied wrongdoing and described the scrutiny as politically motivated.
The investigation drew wider attention after federal agents searched her home on Monday, October 12, shortly before the midterm elections. The Justice Department confirmed that Homeland Security Investigations carried out a judicially authorized search warrant, according to AP. Officials initially provided few details about the search or the evidence supporting it.
Omar accused the administration of using federal law enforcement against political opponents. The timing intensified the political dispute, with Democratic congressional leaders questioning the search as Omar seeks reelection and voting approaches.
AP noted that the Justice Department has historically avoided overt investigative steps involving candidates in the immediate period before an election. Republicans and administration officials, meanwhile, have pointed to the existence of an ongoing criminal investigation.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the search was part of a long-running criminal investigation related to immigration. The Journal also noted that Omar has repeatedly denied longstanding allegations concerning her immigration history.
A search warrant authorizes a search; it does not establish that the person whose home is searched committed a crime. Reuters reported that the warrant was judicially authorized.
Key questions remain unanswered, including what investigators learned from the reported conversation, whether other interviews took place and whether authorities have evidence that could support further action.