Federal agents search the home of US Representative Ilhan Omar as part of a criminal investigation

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Federal agents conducted a search of the home of Democratic US House Representative Ilhan Omar on Monday morning as part of a criminal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter who told the Associated Press.

These people - who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they did not have permission to discuss an ongoing investigation publicly - stated that the search operation was carried out by agents of the Department of Homeland Security Investigations. Additional details about the investigation were not immediately clear.

An email was sent Monday to a representative for Rep. Omar requesting comment.

The US Department of Justice said in a statement on Monday that Homeland Security Investigations agents executed a judicially authorized search warrant obtained by the department in the Washington, D.C., area, without providing further details.

“This enforcement action is part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation,” the department said.

Omar (44 years old) represents the 5th District of Minnesota, which includes the city of Minneapolis.

She was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2018, and is known as a member of a group of female lawmakers called “The Squad,” who are known for their progressive views and staunch opposition to the Republican president.

Last February, the head of the US House of Representatives Oversight Committee requested records related to two companies in which the husband of Democratic Representative from Minnesota, Ilhan Omar, owns shares, taking the unprecedented step of scrutinizing the affairs of the husband of a current member of the House of Representatives.

The committee's chairman, Republican Representative from Kentucky, James Comer, issued a letter to Timothy "Tim" Minnette, a former Democratic political consultant who is married to Representative Ilhan Omar, in which he requested records related to two companies that witnessed a significant increase in their value between 2023 and 2024, according to financial disclosures provided by the representative to Congress.

Comer's request was a highly unusual move by the head of a committee with a long track record of investigations, but mostly focused on government officials outside Congress.

Since her election in 2018 to the House of Representatives, Ilhan Omar has been subjected to various accusations, especially from Republicans. She rejected the allegations regarding her financial affairs, describing them as “misleading” and based on conspiracy theories, in her words.