$30 million became less than $100,000: watchdog demands Ilhan Omar’s financial records after ethics probe is dismissed
A watchdog group that filed a complaint against Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) is insisting that the House Ethics panel obtain her financial documents rather than disregarding a high-profile inquiry into her case.
The last-minute push follows a congressional panel’s decision to dismiss an investigation into Omar’s significant disclosed wealth gains, which she attributed to an oversight.
Paul Kamenar of the National Legal and Policy Center called it “stunning” that the Office of Congressional Conduct voted 5-1 to recommend the House Ethics Committee dismiss a probe into Omar, after Omar’s office cited the “overwhelming” vote.
“From day one, we have been clear: the Congresswoman is not a millionaire,” said Omar spokesperson Jacklyn Rogers following a Wall Street Journal report that the advisory panel cleared her of any wrongdoing.
“Her excuse that their accountant was so incompetent that he valued the assets without considering the liabilities is laughable,” Kamenar told The Post.
In a rare public explanation of the large discrepancies in her legally-required financial reports, Omar’s office said she “isn’t involved in her husband’s businesses and trusted the accountant involved,” when she personally signed off on her 2024 disclosure form, which she amended a year later following several reports by The Post.
That comment was made to the Wall Street Journal after the paper reported that the Office of Congressional Conduct recommended the Ethics Committee dismiss charges against her.
It found “there is not substantial reason to believe that Rep. Omar reported false or incomplete information in her financial disclosures” after she reported assets of up to $30 million in last year’s disclosure, only to significantly lower it to less than $100,000 in this year’s disclosure. Her latest filing stated that her husband earned as little as $200 from the winery empire and Rose Lake Capital venture capital firm.
The OCC, which provides non-binding guidance to the panel, fails to explain the massive discrepancy in Omar’s wealth, which she disclosed in broad ranges.
The report of its decision came just after the start of a 60-day “blackout period” which began Sept. 4, where Ethics is barred from launching an inquiry close to an upcoming election.
Kamenar also criticized term-limited House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), who told The Post earlier this year he might subpoena Omar’s husband Tim Mynett, whose businesses accounted for the remarkable temporary asset gain, only to later retract and defer to the Ethics panel.
Comer “seemed to drop the ball on his committee’s investigation of her husband who is not subject to jurisdiction of the Ethics Committee,” said Kamenar.
“The House Oversight Committee referred the matter months ago to the House Ethics Committee and encouraged it to do its job and review the concerning allegations,” said a House Oversight Committee spokesperson.
An OCC spokesperson wouldn’t comment on specifics of the matter, citing internal rules, but noted that “The Committee on Ethics is never bound by any recommendation from OCC.” That means it is up to the panel, which is evenly divided with three Republicans and three Democrats, on whether to proceed if it wants to act after the elections.
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