Judicial Watch Requests Ethics Investigation of Whether Rep. Ilhan Omar Improperly Used Campaign Funds

Original Complaint Demanded Investigation of Substantial Evidence of Marriage, Immigration, and Tax Fraud

(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today that it hand-delivered a letter to the U.S. House of Representatives Office of Congressional Ethics calling for further investigation of Rep. Ilhan Omar over new allegations that her alleged lover, Tim Mynett, received nearly $230,000 from her campaign since July 2018.  The latest letter supplements Judicial Watch’s July complaint demanding an investigation of alleged marriage, immigration, tax, and other fraud related to the allegation that Rep. Omar had married her brother.

The new campaign finance allegations arise as a result of divorce filings alleging the affair between Mr. Mynett and Rep. Omar.

“Rep. Omar has significant ethics problems, and the House Ethics Committee must act to investigate the serious and substantial allegations against her,” stated Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “Frankly, there’s more than enough evidence for the Justice Department to initiate a criminal investigation of Rep. Omar.”

The Judicial Watch supplemental complaint is reprinted below:

Re: Supplemental Ethics Complaint Against Rep. Ilhan Omar Concerning Possible Violations of Federal and State Law 

Dear Chairman Skaggs,

Judicial Watch is a non-profit, non-partisan educational foundation, promoting transparency, accountability and integrity in government and fidelity to the rule of law. We regularly monitor congressional ethics issues as part of our anti-corruption mission.

This letter serves as a supplemental complaint to an official complaint that we filed with the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) on July 22, 2019 (attached as Exhibit A), relative to potential felonies committed by Rep. Ilhan Omar involving tax fraud, marriage fraud, immigration fraud and perjury, principally involving Rep. Omar’s possible marriage to her biological brother, presumably as part of an immigration fraud scheme.

In addition to those potential violations of law, new disclosures arising from civil litigation raise still more troubling allegations, suggesting more potential violations of law or regulations by Rep. Omar that require investigation.

Specifically, in a divorce action, Dr. Beth Mynett of Washington, D.C., has accused her husband, political consultant Tim Mynett, of having an affair with Rep. Omar during which Mr. Mynett’s firm, E Street Consulting LLC, and Mr. Mynett directly, received nearly $230,000 from Rep. Omar’s campaign since July 2018.

According to Dr. Mynett’s divorce filings, “[O]n reflection, Defendant’s [Tim Mynett’s] more recent travel and long work hours now appear to be more related to his affair with Rep. Omar than with his actual work commitments…”

The bulk of the proceeds paid to E Street ($175,371.40) were funneled to E Street after the November 2018 congressional elections, thereby calling into question the true purpose of the payments.

Additionally, according to a complaint filed with the Federal Election Commission, Ilhan for Congress campaign filings with the FEC indicate that eight disbursements were made to E Street Consulting totaling $21,546.94 for “travel expenses.” However, these expenses were not itemized, as required by FEC regulations.

House Rules are quite specific about the improper use of campaign funds for personal expenditures. The Code of Official Conduct of the House of Representatives states:

        A Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner—

(a)   shall keep the campaign funds of such individual separate from the personal funds of  such individual,

 (b)   may not convert campaign funds to personal use in excess of an amount representing reimbursement for legitimate and verifiable campaign expenditures; an

(c)   except as provided in clause 1(b) of rule XXIV, may not expend funds from a campaign account of such individual that are not attributable to bona fide campaign or political purposes.

The House Rules of Conduct are also quite explicit about the seriousness with which Congress takes such violations as have allegedly occurred with respect to Rep. Omar’s conduct. The very opening of Rule XXIII, the Code of Official Conduct, states:

There is hereby established by and for the House the following code of conduct, to be known as the “Code of Conduct”. 1. A Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, Officer, or employee of the House shall behave at all times in a manner that shall reflect creditably on the House.

As suggested by Dr. Mynett’s court filings and the FEC complaint, these payments may represent campaign funds being used to allow Mr. Mynett to accompany Rep. Omar in her travels for Rep. Omar’s pleasure, and thereby constitute campaign funds being used for personal expenses, in addition to the expenses not being properly itemized — both serious violations of House rules and campaign finance regulations.

We call upon the Office of Congressional Ethics to launch an investigation into Rep. Omar’s conduct immediately for both these potential violations and those enumerated in our letter of July 22, 2019.

Respondent, Rep. Ilhan Omar, has been provided with an exact copy of the filed complaint and all attachments.

Thank you for your consideration of this matter.

Submitted by,

Tom Fitton
President
Judicial Watch

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