Congresswoman Ilhan Omar has rejected a longstanding allegation that she married her brother to commit immigration fraud, telling interviewer Chris Hayes: “Not to my knowledge.”
The Minnesota representative was asked whether her former husband, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, was her brother during an interview with MS NOW. Omar described the allegation as “insane”.
The claim has circulated for years in connection with Omar’s 2009 marriage to Elmi, but no publicly established evidence has shown that he is her brother.
The interview followed a raid on Omar’s home in Washington DC on October 12, carried out by federal agents as part of an ongoing criminal investigation.
Investigators are examining whether Omar or members of her family made false statements in immigration paperwork dating back decades.
President Donald Trump has denied involvement in the raid, while the Justice Department said agents executed a judicially authorised search warrant.
Omar has denied wrongdoing and accused the Trump administration of using the investigation to intimidate her ahead of the midterm elections.
