Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minnesota) paid another $150,000 in previously undisclosed funds to her lover Tim Mynett’s political consulting group within three months after The New York Post first revealed allegations the pair were romantically involved, records show.
The 37-year-old Minnesota congresswoman’s campaign has funneled $146,712.63 to Mynett’s E Street Group, for digital advertising, fundraising consulting and video production.
When news of their alleged affair broke, Mynett had already received $223,000 through her campaign since 2018 for fundraising, internet advertising, digital communications, and travel expenses to the E Street Group — taking the latest total to $370,000.
According to the Post, the federal agency investigating the campaign finance complaint against Omar does not have enough commissioners on the bench to investigate.
“This is something every American should be very concerned about,” said Craig Holman, government affairs lobbyist at the watchdog group Public Citizen.
“We have no election cop on the beat. The Federal Election Commission essentially closed its doors so everyone knows they can pretty much do whatever they want to do and that’s the status of our political system today.”
Omar and Mynett have denied the allegations of an affair which was revealed in Beth Mynetts’s divorce papers. Beth Mynett claims Tim left her in April for the U.S. Congresswoman.
In October, Somali-born Omar has so far allegedly committed perjury, immigration fraud, marriage fraud, state and federal tax fraud, and federal student loan fraud, and evidence is mounting that she married her own brother Omar. She filed for divorce from her husband, Ahmed Hirsi, amid the affair allegations — claiming the marriage was “irretrievable.” The split was finalized on Nov. 5.
The National Legal and Policy Center, a conservative watchdog, filed a complaint against Omar with the Federal Election Commission — seeking a probe into whether the Democrat used campaign funds to rendezvous with her alleged lover.
The FEC has only three of six commissioner slots filled and needs at least four members to vote on complaints so they are unable to take action.
“It doesn’t surprise me at all,” Holman said referring to the continued payments from Omar to her alleged lover. “We literally have no election cop on the beat and we’re entering the 2020 election that promises to be the most expensive election in history.”
$12,673.43 of the payments to Mynett were simply labeled “travel expenses” — a potential breach of campaign finance law, which mandates that travel expenses be itemized.
“Our question is whether this was necessary travel or whether she was just bringing her boyfriend along for the company,” NLPC chairman Peter Flaherty said in August.
FEC spokesman Christian Hilland said Friday the agency needed the US Senate to confirm a fourth member before it can investigate campaign finance violations.
“We are willing to accept reports but we are not able to move forward with any investigatory matters,” he said.