Omar wins fifth term in congress amid federal investigation
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Rep. Ilhan Omar has won a fifth term in Congress.
The progressive Democrat was heavily favored to win her Minneapolis district, as she faces an ongoing investigation by the federal government.
In early October, federal agents with the Department of Homeland Security searched Omar’s home in Washington, D.C. The Department of Justice said it was part of a criminal investigation.
Some federal officials have said the investigation is looking into her immigration history, referencing unproven claims that she may have entered into a fraudulent marriage to help someone get legal status in the U.S., and that her father may have lied about her age in citizenship applications.
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Omar has denied any wrongdoing, and she’s called the investigation an intimidation tactic by President Donald Trump. Omar is a regular critic of Trump’s policies; Trump frequently responds with his own criticism, including calls for her to return to Somalia, her country of birth.
Some legal experts said the timing of the search of Omar’s home, just weeks before the election, went against the DOJ’s typical rules around investigations into elected officials. And some raised concerns about the possibility that the federal government could be attempting to strip Omar of her citizenship, calling that an unprecedented move against a sitting lawmaker.
Her win came as the investigation continues. In recent court filings, attorneys for the U.S. government have said that investigators have not yet finished carrying out a search warrant in the case, and that any charges would come after that’s complete.
Omar will head back to Congress for another term. She’s been representing Minnesota’s 5th district in the House since she was first elected in 2018, when she became one of the first Muslim Americans and the first Somali American elected to Congress.
