Rep. Ilhan Omar is rejecting claims that she is facing an ethics investigation as Republicans continue pressing for scrutiny of her financial disclosures and her connection to a massive pandemic-era fraud case.
Questions surrounding Omar’s finances have intensified after disclosure filings appeared to show a sharp decline in her estimated net worth between reporting periods, per Fox News.
According to reports, one filing placed her estimated net worth between roughly $6 million and $30 million. A later disclosure showed a range of approximately $18,000 to $95,000, drawing renewed attention from Republican lawmakers.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer has publicly expressed interest in having the House Ethics Committee examine both Omar’s finances and any ties she may have had to the “Feeding Our Future” fraud case.
Federal prosecutors have described the Minnesota-based scheme as costing taxpayers roughly $250 million.
When asked whether she is currently under investigation by the Ethics Committee, Omar dismissed the suggestion.
“No,” Omar told Fox News Digital while laughing. “No. We go over this all the time.”
When questioned further about reports surrounding the financial disclosure discrepancy and the possibility of a significant drop in her reported net worth, Omar responded, “There’s also the possibility that it might rain on this sunny day.”
The pressure on Omar has extended beyond Congress.
Last month, JD Vance said the Department of Justice would be opening a probe into Omar’s alleged involvement in fraud-related matters through the administration’s anti-fraud task force.
Omar has repeatedly denied having any knowledge of wrongdoing connected to the Feeding Our Future organization.
The nonprofit claimed it was helping provide meals to children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Federal authorities later alleged the operation became what the Justice Department called the largest COVID-19 fraud scheme in the country.
The organization’s founder, Aimee Bock, was sentenced to 42 years in prison for her role in the case.
Republicans have also focused on Omar’s MEALS Act, legislation she sponsored as part of federal pandemic relief efforts. Critics argue the measure expanded USDA waiver authority and contributed to conditions that allowed fraud to flourish.
Omar has previously pushed back on those claims, arguing that regulations governing the program were implemented by President Donald Trump’s Agriculture Secretary, Brooke Rollins.
While Omar continues to deny that any ethics investigation is underway, Republicans have shown no signs of backing away from calls for further examination of both her financial disclosures and the broader fraud allegations.
