WASHINGTON – The Federal Election Commission has tossed out a 2019 complaint against Rep. Ilhan Omar from a conservative group alleging the Minnesota Democrat illegally spent campaign funds on her now-husband's political consulting firm.
"The FEC's unanimous 6-0 ruling confirms what we've said from the beginning: This was a baseless effort by a right-wing group to smear the congresswoman," Omar campaign spokesman Isi Baehr-Breen said in a text message. "We're glad people now have a better idea of the kind of tactics the right wing is willing to use to try to smear and silence Rep. Omar. Good riddance."
The complaint from the Virginia-based National Legal and Policy Center questioned whether Omar's campaign paid Tim Mynett's E Street Group for personal travel expenses. The complaint covers a period from August 2018 to September 2019, when Omar's campaign paid more than $369,000 to E Street, according to campaign finance records.
Omar announced her marriage to Mynett in March 2020, and she severed ties with his firm later that year. She denied any impropriety but said she wanted to avoid a perception of conflict.
In a unanimous decision, the commission found there was no reason to believe Omar's campaign "knowingly and willfully violated" federal law or regulations by either "converting campaign funds to personal use" or "improperly reporting payee information."
The commission urged Omar's campaign to work with the FEC to update its reporting if needed.
"Once again, the FEC has shown that it's ineffective in policing corruption," said Peter Flaherty, chairman of the National Legal and Policy Center, said in a phone interview Friday. "We feel it was a meritorious complaint and they should have taken more appropriate action."
Omar is currently serving her second term representing Minnesota's Fifth Congressional District. She married Mynett after the two finalized divorces with previous spouses.
