Agents seize Ilhan Omar’s phone in immigration paperwork investigation

Federal agents seized Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar’s phone during a search of her Washington home as investigators examine possible fraud and false statements in her family’s immigration paperwork, according to people familiar with the case. Grand jury subpoenas have also gone to members of her family, though reports differ on when they were issued.

The search took place Monday, three weeks before the midterm elections, in which Omar is seeking re-election in Minnesota. NBC News reported that roughly a dozen subpoenas were sent Friday, after the search. CBS News reported that multiple relatives received subpoenas the Friday before it. The Guardian reported that more than a dozen subpoenas had been issued. NBC News said Omar herself was not subpoenaed and that agents also want to speak with her sister but have not reached her.

The subpoenas are tied to a federal grand jury in Minnesota, according to NBC News and The Guardian. NBC News reported that possible charges cited by federal officials include conspiracy and making false statements in immigration paperwork. One person familiar with the case told NBC News that investigators have whistleblowers, documents and witness testimony and are examining matters surrounding Omar’s immigration status, including her birthdate. The full scope of the inquiry remains unclear.

Omar, who was born in Somalia, moved to the United States with her family in the 1990s and was naturalized at 17, NBC News reported. The outlet noted that citizenship can be conferred through a parent while a person is a juvenile. CBS News reported that some paperwork under examination dates to Omar’s childhood and was completed by her late father.

Omar has denied wrongdoing. “Make no mistake: this is an attempt to target political enemies and weaponize federal law enforcement,” she said in a statement posted online Monday. “For 10 years, Trump has targeted me with baseless lies and smear campaigns. This is just the latest escalation in his campaign of political intimidation.” She added: “I will not be silenced.”

The timing has drawn criticism because the Justice Department has traditionally avoided overt investigative steps involving candidates close to elections. CBS News cited department guidelines barring officials from timing an action to affect an election and a customary practice of avoiding public investigative steps within 60 days of a vote.

The seizure of a sitting lawmaker’s phone also raises questions about constitutional protections for legislative work. CBS News reported that the judge who approved the search warrant required protocols allowing Omar and her counsel to review seized materials and assert privilege under the Constitution’s Speech or Debate Clause.

President Donald Trump said Monday he had “nothing to do with” the search, according to CBS News. Asked about it that day, he said the government was looking at Omar “very carefully,” NBC News reported. “I think she’s a terrible person, but that’s really up to the DOJ,” he said.

A separate investigation by the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington concerns the valuation of businesses run by Omar’s husband, Tim Mynett, CBS News reported. Financial disclosures initially valued the businesses at between $6 million and $30 million; Omar attributed that to an accounting error and filed an amended disclosure listing the couple’s joint assets at between $18,004 and $95,000. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro confirmed her office was examining financial-disclosure issues and said, “If there was a crime that was committed, it will be prosecuted.”