Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) is facing renewed scrutiny after offering a qualified response when asked directly about a longstanding allegation involving her former husband, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, during a televised interview Wednesday.
The Minnesota congresswoman rejected the accusation that she married her brother as an immigration maneuver, describing the claim as “insane.” However, when MS NOW host Chris Hayes asked whether there was any truth to the allegation that Elmi was her brother, Omar responded with three words that quickly attracted attention: “Not to my knowledge.”
The exchange comes amid an ongoing federal investigation into potential immigration-related fraud and questions surrounding government records associated with Omar and members of her family.
Hayes raised the controversy during what was described as Omar’s first extended television interview since federal Homeland Security Investigations agents searched her Washington, D.C., residence on October 12.
