Rep. Ilhan Omar's first husband, Ahmed Hirsi, was reportedly "embarrassed" and "disgusted" by the presence of Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, whom Omar is accused of marrying, according to a family friend.
Omar, who shares two young children with Hirsi, allegedly split from him in 2009 and quickly married Elmi, described as an "extremely feminine Somali guy from London." At the time, Omar and Hirsi had only been married in an Islamic ceremony in 2002, which was not legally recognized in the state.
A close friend of Hirsi, who spoke anonymously to The Post, claimed that Omar and Hirsi were still together when Elmi moved in, causing strain on their relationship. The friend stated that the legal marriage to Elmi was reportedly to help him obtain U.S. residency "papers."
"The whole community was gossiping about [Elmi] when he first arrived," the source told The Post. "He was walking around in tight female clothing, which is heavily frowned upon in the Somali community, so I went to ask Ahmed about it. He told me that it was his wife’s brother from London and that Ilhan had ‘embarrassed all of us by bringing him here.’ Ahmed used very strong words and said it was ‘disgusting.’"
Hirsi, known as "South Side" within Minneapolis's Somali community, was described as sociable and popular. However, the source noted a change in Hirsi after Elmi's arrival, stating, "Ahmed told me it was his wife [Omar] who brought him over, and it was her brother. He explained that she had married him legally to get him papers and that he was only Islamically married to her."
The friend also recounted Hirsi's strong negative feelings towards Elmi, quoting him as saying Elmi was "pure trash" and had embarrassed the family. Hirsi reportedly did not want Elmi "anywhere near his children" and feared Elmi's "effeminate lifestyle" would influence them. According to the source, Hirsi "used to insult her brother all the time and say nasty things."
Elmi, who left the U.S. around 2012, reportedly returned to the UK, where he works at the University of Bristol and describes himself as a "dirty dandy" on social media, posting pictures of himself in "garish outfits."
Allegations that Omar fraudulently married Elmi for immigration purposes have circulated since 2016. Omar, who arrived in the U.S. as a refugee from Somalia in 1995, has denied these claims.
Omar has stated that her 2002 marriage to Hirsi was not legally finalized. She claims they separated in 2008, reconciled around 2012, and legally married in 2018. Omar was married to Elmi from 2009 to 2017, though she asserts they separated in 2011, with the divorce finalized later.
Public records previously showed joint tax filings between Omar and Hirsi in 2014 and 2015, while she was legally married to Elmi. These filings were later corrected. Omar and Hirsi eventually separated in 2019 and she is now married to Tim Mynett.