During a briefing on Tuesday, President Donald Trump publicly criticized Minnesota Democrat Rep. Ilhan Omar, labeling her “crooked” and casting doubt on the origin of her newfound wealth, reportedly around $30 million. This statement came on the heels of a formal investigation initiated by the House Oversight Committee into her financial assets.
Concerns about the sudden increase in Omar’s net worth have been raised by some Republicans and various residents in Minnesota. They’ve pointed out the striking contrast between her financial situation now and her past, urging a closer examination of her business activities and campaign spending.
“I was told that Ilhan Omar is worth $30 million,” Trump remarked. “She never had a job. She’s a crooked congressman. So here you – it’s another one.”
In his remarks, Trump linked Omar’s wealth to a controversial $9 billion fraud case in Minnesota, which involved businesses posing as social service providers to exploit government funding. He suggested that Omar might have benefited from this scheme, primarily driven by organizations led by Somali immigrants.
“Nobody talks about the fact that $19 billion, at a minimum, is missing in Minnesota, given to a large degree, but, by Somalis — they’ve taken it. Somalis. Can you imagine?” Trump said, criticizing the situation.
Financial records from 2024 indicate a significant leap in Omar’s wealth from $6 million to an astonishing $30 million, prompting the House Oversight Committee to investigate potential ethics violations. Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) is now looking for subpoenas related to Omar’s husband, Tim Mynett, and the business operations he oversees, alleging there are questionable dealings at play.
Critics have focused on Omar’s 2020 legislation, the MEALS Act, designed to streamline the certification process for school lunches during the pandemic. This Act has been blamed for enabling fraudulent claims, allowing various organizations to defraud the system and acquire millions without thorough checks.
Following the Act’s enactment, Mynett established Rose Lake Capital in 2022. Intriguingly, the firm’s valuation ballooned from zero to approximately $25 million in just a year.
“There’s a lot of strange things going on,” remarked Paul Kamenar, counsel to the National Legal and Policy Center. “She was basically broke when she came into office, and now she’s worth perhaps up to $30 million … She needs to come clean on these assets.”
Recent financial documents portray a dramatic shift in Omar’s household wealth, which she attributes mainly to her husband’s enterprises. Rose Lake Capital, initially reported to have under $1,000 in assets in 2023, is now valued at up to $25 million, while the California winery eStCru LLC jumped to a valuation of $5 million over the span of a year.
Such substantial appraisals have reignited discussions surrounding Omar’s personal finances. Just last year, she claimed on social media that she was “not a millionaire” and maintained having only modest savings.
As Trump marked the first anniversary of his second term, he used the White House press conference to criticize the fraudulent activities in Minnesota, singling out officials including Omar.
Following his statements, senior administration officials reiterated that a federal investigation is ongoing to assess the congresswoman’s business connections and the questionable leap in her reported wealth.
“The crooked Governor and ‘Congresswoman’ Omar, who married her brother, don’t mind because it keeps the focus of attention off the 18 Billion Dollar, Plus, FRAUD, that has taken place in the State! Don’t worry, we’re on it!” Trump posted on Truth Social.
