Rep. Angie Craig Directed Lawmaker to Pursue Ethics Complaint Against Ilhan Omar Himself in 2019
Correspondence shows Craig informed a state representative of the process for filing a complaint with the Office of Congressional Ethics.
Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., informed a Minnesota state lawmaker in 2019 that he could pursue an ethics investigation into Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., by filing a complaint himself with the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE). This direction came after the state representative, Steve Drazkowski, urged Craig to initiate such a probe into Omar.
According to correspondence obtained by Fox News Digital, Craig wrote to Drazkowski that the OCE is the independent, non-partisan entity responsible for reviewing allegations of misconduct against members, officers, and staff of the U.S. House of Representatives. She noted that the OCE accepts information from the public.
Drazkowski's request followed a report by the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board. He had brought accusations to the board, including that Omar had filed joint tax returns with Ahmed Abdisalan Hirsi in 2014 and 2015, despite not being legally married at the time. The board later found that Omar had improperly used $1,500 in campaign funds for personal tax-related services concerning those returns and required her to repay campaign funds used for travel expenses.
Omar legally married Ahmed Nur Said Elmi in February 2009, and their divorce was finalized in December 2017. Omar stated in a 2017 divorce filing that she had not been in contact with Elmi since 2011.
Drazkowski stated that he was prompted to seek an investigation after noticing Omar had not filed a required statement of economic interest. After receiving Craig's response, Drazkowski, who was a constituent in Craig's congressional district, submitted his own complaint to the House Ethics Committee and the OCE.
He told Fox News Digital that he struggled to get a substantive response from the congressional ethics process and subsequently brought his allegations to the FBI's Minneapolis office. The House Ethics Committee and the FBI declined to comment on the matter when contacted by Fox News Digital. Representatives for Omar and Craig did not respond to requests for comment.