Report: Omar Staff Sought Birth Year Change After Election
A New York Post report says Rep. Ilhan Omar's congressional staff asked Minnesota officials to change her listed birth year from 1981 to 1982 in May 2019.
Mostly right · 100% 6 sources
Omar immigration investigation
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What's happening
Federal agents searched Rep. Ilhan Omar's Washington, D.C., home on October 12 as part of a criminal investigation that sources say concerns her immigration paperwork and birthdate.(source: Oct 13: Federal agents raid Ilhan Omar's DC home as fraud investigation proceeds)(source: Oct 14: DOJ subpoenas relatives in probe of Rep. Ilhan Omar's immigration status)(source: Oct 19: Feds said to have DNA evidence in Ilhan Omar immigration fraud probe) Omar has denied all allegations, says she is being politically targeted, and no charges have been filed.(source: Oct 18: Obama condemns federal investigation of Rep. Ilhan Omar)(source: Oct 19: Feds said to have DNA evidence in Ilhan Omar immigration fraud probe) In a TikTok video, Omar thanked supporters for donations and asked for $5, $10 or $20 contributions to fight the administration before the midterm elections.(source: Oct 21: Ilhan Omar asks supporters for donations as federal probe continues)
How we got here
- A New York Post report said Omar's congressional staff asked the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library in May 2019 to change her listed birth year from 1981 to 1982, a change that drew renewed attention after federal agents searched her home.(source: Oct 13: Report: Omar Staff Sought Birth Year Change After Election)
- Homeland Security Investigations agents raided Omar's Washington, D.C., home early Monday, according to a source, in what two sources close to the investigation described as part of a criminal fraud investigation into her immigration paperwork.(source: Oct 13: Federal agents raid Ilhan Omar's DC home as fraud investigation proceeds)
- The Justice Department issued about a dozen subpoenas, including to family members, in an investigation examining matters surrounding Omar's immigration status including her birthdate; Omar herself was not subpoenaed.(source: Oct 14: DOJ subpoenas relatives in probe of Rep. Ilhan Omar's immigration status)
- Agents seized Omar's phone, computer, passport and notebooks, and the New York Times reported that investigators reviewed text messages from a phone seized from her sister, Sahra Noor, to obtain a judge's approval for the search.(source: Oct 14: Feds seize Rep. Ilhan Omar's phone and subpoena relatives in immigration probe)(source: Oct 18: FBI searches Rep. Ilhan Omar's home over immigration fraud inquiry)
- Former President Barack Obama criticized the investigation in a post on X, and sources told the New York Post that prosecutors plan to use DNA evidence, which one source said was critical to an allegation that Omar married her brother, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, in 2009.(source: Oct 18: Obama condemns federal investigation of Rep. Ilhan Omar)(source: Oct 19: Feds said to have DNA evidence in Ilhan Omar immigration fraud probe)
Summary of our earlier coverage: every sentence links to the stories it comes from, numbered as in the timeline below.
Timeline
Oldest firstFederal agents raid Ilhan Omar's DC home as fraud investigation proceeds
Homeland Security Investigations agents searched Rep. Ilhan Omar's Washington, D.C., home as part of a criminal fraud investigation into her immigration paperwork, according to reports.
Mostly right · 100% 5 sourcesDOJ subpoenas relatives in probe of Rep. Ilhan Omar's immigration status
Federal prosecutors issued subpoenas to family members as part of an investigation into Rep. Ilhan Omar's immigration history, with agents searching her Washington home days later.
Mostly right · 83% 6 sourcesFederal agents search Ilhan Omar's D.C. home as husband says he has 'no concerns'
Homeland Security Investigations searched Rep. Ilhan Omar's Washington, D.C., residence as part of an ongoing federal investigation, and her husband, Tim Mynett, told Fox News he has no concerns about her immigration status.
Mostly right · 100% 3 sourcesFeds seize Rep. Ilhan Omar's phone and subpoena relatives in immigration probe
Federal agents searched Omar's Washington, D.C., home and issued grand jury subpoenas as part of an investigation into potential immigration fraud.
Mostly right · 78% 10 sourcesFBI searches Rep. Ilhan Omar's home over immigration fraud inquiry
Federal agents searched Rep. Ilhan Omar's Washington, D.C., home after reviewing text messages from her sister's phone, according to reports.
Mostly right · 100% 3 sourcesObama condemns federal investigation of Rep. Ilhan Omar
Former President Obama criticized the Trump administration's criminal investigation into Rep. Ilhan Omar, who denies wrongdoing.
Mostly right · 67% 5 sourcesFeds said to have DNA evidence in Ilhan Omar immigration fraud probe
Reports say federal investigators have obtained DNA evidence as part of a years-long probe into whether Rep. Ilhan Omar committed immigration fraud.
Mostly right · 100% 5 sourcesIlhan Omar asks supporters for donations as federal probe continues
Rep. Ilhan Omar posted a video asking supporters for donations as a federal investigation into her immigration status continues.
Mostly right · 100% 4 sources
How each side's framing changed
Each side's frame, story by story| Side | 4Federal agents search Ilhan Omar's D.C. home as husband says he has 'no concerns' | 5Feds seize Rep. Ilhan Omar's phone and subpoena relatives in immigration probe | 6FBI searches Rep. Ilhan Omar's home over immigration fraud inquiry | 7Obama condemns federal investigation of Rep. Ilhan Omar | 8Feds said to have DNA evidence in Ilhan Omar immigration fraud probe | 9Ilhan Omar asks supporters for donations as federal probe continues |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conspiracy left | No coverage | No coverage | No coverage | No coverage | No coverage | No coverage |
| Far left | No coverage | No coverage | No coverage | No coverage | No coverage | No coverage |
| Left | No coverage | Notes search came weeks before midtermsThe Guardian US (Politics) | No coverage | Calls the Omar investigation appallingNBC News (Politics) | No coverage | No coverage |
| Right | Says Omar's husband dismisses federal investigationFox News (Politics) | Says probe examines Omar's immigration paperworkFox News (Politics) | Says raid followed review of sister's phoneThe Daily Wire | Says Obama defends Omar amid probeFox News (Politics) | Says DNA evidence could prove Omar immigration fraudNew York Post (Politics) | Says Omar begged for cash amid federal probeNew York Post (Politics) |
| Far right | Calls the raid part of a criminal fraud probeThe Gateway Pundit | Calls seized phone a new problem for OmarPJ Media | Calls family texts a major break in casePJ Media | No coverage | Claims feds have DNA in Omar criminal investigationThe Gateway Pundit | Calls Omar panicking as she begs for cashWND (WorldNetDaily) |
| Conspiracy right | No coverage | No coverage | No coverage | No coverage | Claims DNA is key to Omar brother-marriage caseZeroHedge | No coverage |
| Readers | Readers: no picks yet | Readers: no picks yet | Readers: no picks yet | Readers: no picks yet | Readers: no picks yet | Readers: no picks yet |
Debate questions over time
Should public officials be required to release documentation when correcting official birth records?
Join the debate on Report: Omar Staff Sought Birth Year Change After ElectionShould federal agents have raided Rep. Ilhan Omar's home as part of the immigration fraud investigation?
Join the debate on Federal agents raid Ilhan Omar's DC home as fraud investigation proceedsShould Congress change its ethics rules for members under federal investigation?
Join the debate on DOJ subpoenas relatives in probe of Rep. Ilhan Omar's immigration statusShould Congress have oversight of federal investigations into sitting members of Congress?
Join the debate on Federal agents search Ilhan Omar's D.C. home as husband says he has 'no concerns'Should federal authorities investigate a sitting lawmaker's immigration records while she is running for reelection?
Join the debate on Feds seize Rep. Ilhan Omar's phone and subpoena relatives in immigration probeShould federal agents be allowed to search a sitting congressperson's home as part of a criminal investigation?
Join the debate on FBI searches Rep. Ilhan Omar's home over immigration fraud inquiryShould the federal government investigate a sitting member of Congress over their immigration paperwork?
Join the debate on Obama condemns federal investigation of Rep. Ilhan OmarShould federal prosecutors use DNA evidence to pursue immigration fraud charges against Rep. Ilhan Omar?
Join the debate on Feds said to have DNA evidence in Ilhan Omar immigration fraud probeShould Ilhan Omar continue campaigning while a federal investigation into her immigration status continues?
Join the debate on Ilhan Omar asks supporters for donations as federal probe continues