Vance Says DOJ Investigating Ilhan Omar, Declines to Rule Out Indictment<\/p>\n
Vice President JD Vance said Tuesday that the Department of Justice is actively investigating Rep. Ilhan Omar, escalating scrutiny surrounding the Minnesota Democrat and fueling speculation about a potential federal indictment.<\/p>\n
Vance made the comments during a White House press briefing where he temporarily filled in for press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who is currently on maternity leave.<\/p>\n
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The remarks came in response to a question from Daily Caller White House correspondent Reagan Reese regarding allegations involving Omar\u2019s immigration history and prior federal probes into her finances and campaign activity.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t want to prejudge an investigation,\u201d Vance said. \u201cYou read the things about Ilhan Omar, and about who she married, and whether she didn\u2019t marry this person or that person. It certainly seems like something fishy is there. But everyone is entitled to equal justice under the laws.\u201d<\/p>\n
The vice president then confirmed that the matter is currently under federal review.<\/p>\n
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\n\u201cSo we\u2019re going to investigate it, we\u2019re going to take a look at it,\u201d Vance said. \u201cIf we think there\u2019s a crime, we\u2019re going to prosecute that crime, and that\u2019s something that the Department of Justice is looking at right now.\u201d<\/p>\n
The comments mark the clearest public acknowledgment yet from the Trump administration that Omar is facing an active DOJ investigation.<\/p>\n
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They also represent a significant escalation in a yearslong political controversy surrounding the congresswoman, who has repeatedly faced allegations tied to her personal relationships, campaign finances, and immigration history.<\/p>\n
Omar has long denied wrongdoing and has previously dismissed Republican accusations against her as politically motivated attacks.<\/p>\n
Tuesday\u2019s revelation follows earlier reporting from The New York Times that former President Joe Biden\u2019s Justice<\/p>\n
Department quietly launched a probe into Omar in 2024.<\/p>\n
According to that report, federal prosecutors in Washington, D.C., working alongside the DOJ\u2019s Public Integrity Section, examined campaign expenditures, personal financial records, and alleged contacts involving a non-U.S. citizen.<\/p>\n
Sources familiar with the matter told the Times the investigation ultimately lost momentum after agents reportedly failed to uncover evidence warranting additional charges or expanded prosecution efforts.<\/p>\n
The Trump administration now appears to be revisiting at least parts of that inquiry.<\/p>\n
Vance\u2019s comments come as Republicans intensify broader investigations into Minnesota\u2019s sprawling Feeding Our Future fraud scandal, one of the largest pandemic-related fraud cases in U.S. history.<\/p>\n
GOP lawmakers in Minnesota have repeatedly attempted to draw connections between Omar, the Somali community organizations implicated in the scandal, and federal nutrition programs expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n
Earlier this month, a Republican-led Minnesota House committee narrowly failed to subpoena Omar for documents related to the Feeding Our Future investigation after Democrats on the panel blocked the effort in a tied vote.<\/p>\n
Republican committee chair Kristin Robbins argued that Omar\u2019s sponsorship of the federal MEALS Act in 2020 helped remove safeguards that contributed to widespread abuse within child nutrition programs during the pandemic.<\/p>\n
Omar\u2019s office has repeatedly declined invitations to testify before the Minnesota committee.<\/p>\n
The controversy surrounding Omar predates the Feeding Our Future investigation. Conservatives have for years questioned details surrounding Omar\u2019s marriage history and immigration timeline, allegations that have circulated heavily online but have never resulted in criminal charges.<\/p>\n
Vance himself previously suggested during the 2024 campaign that Omar may have committed immigration fraud.<\/p>\n
The DOJ has not publicly confirmed the existence of a current investigation, and neither the Justice Department nor Omar\u2019s congressional office immediately responded to requests for comment following Vance\u2019s remarks.<\/p>\n
Still, the vice president\u2019s statements are likely to intensify political pressure on Omar as Republicans continue attacking Democratic lawmakers as corrupt heading into the 2026 midterm cycle.<\/p>\n
Vance pushed back on concerns about political targeting during Tuesday\u2019s briefing, emphasizing that the administration intends to follow evidence wherever it leads.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone is entitled to equal justice under the laws,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Vance Says DOJ Investigating Ilhan Omar, Declines to Rule Out Indictment Vice President JD Vance said Tuesday that the Department of Justice is actively investigating Rep. Ilhan… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1586,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1585","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n