Watchdog pushes raid on Rep. Ilhan Omar as probe threatens to expose wider accountability failures
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A conservative watchdog leader said the Homeland Security Investigations search of Rep. Ilhan Omar's home could open the door to more revelations about how power is policed in Congress, as federal investigators separately examine her immigration record and financial disclosures.
Federal agents carried out a Homeland Security Investigations search of Rep. Ilhan Omar's Washington, D.C., residence, drawing a warning from Oversight Project President Mike Howell that further findings could surface. Howell said the raid raises broader questions about congressional accountability and claimed investigators may have uncovered substantial evidence.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine F. Pirro confirmed that her office is reviewing Omar's financial disclosures, while separate reporting indicated that federal investigators have subpoenaed members of Omar's family as part of an immigration-related inquiry. The immigration probe is examining whether Omar's age and citizenship information were accurately reported when she arrived in the United States in 1995 and became a citizen in 2000, as well as the accuracy of paperwork completed by her late father.
"I think there's other shoes that are going to drop here," Howell told Fox News Digital.
Former acting ICE director Jonathan Fahey said investigators may be looking at more recent documents that could contain false information, which could create additional legal exposure. Former FBI agent Nicole Parker cautioned that if false statements were made by Omar's father while she was a minor, she might not face criminal liability, but she could still be subject to denaturalization if her citizenship was obtained on false pretenses.
The Oversight Project previously challenged a $1.031 million earmark for a Minnesota nonprofit backed by Omar, leading to its removal after Republican lawmakers raised concerns. Howell tied the earmark dispute to what he described as a broader pattern of "institutional rot" in Congress, arguing that lawmakers should put their constitutional oath ahead of political favoritism and insider dealing.
Omar has denied any wrongdoing and said the search was politically motivated. Her office described the raid as an abuse of power and pointed to prior congressional ethics findings that recommended dismissing allegations related to her financial disclosures.