US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, one of the most prominent Black women in American politics, is facing renewed scrutiny after a conservative watchdog group confirmed it is reviewing her financial disclosures amid public outrage over a massive COVID-era aid fraud scandal in Minnesota.
Peter Flaherty, chairman of the National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC), told the New York Post that the organisation is “certainly looking” into Omar’s finances following reports of a sharp rise in her household wealth and questions surrounding her husband’s business ventures. No formal charges have been filed against Omar, and she has not been accused of wrongdoing by law enforcement.
The scrutiny comes days after reports revealed that Rose Lake Capital, a venture capital firm linked to Omar’s husband, political consultant Tim Mynett, quietly removed details of its officers and executives from LinkedIn and other public platforms.
The move has raised questions among critics, particularly as Omar’s latest financial disclosures show her net worth rising to an estimated $30 million—an increase of roughly 3,500 percent compared to 2023 figures.
According to the disclosures, much of the increase is tied to Mynett’s business interests, including Rose Lake Capital, headquartered in Washington, DC, and a California-based winery. Rose Lake Capital reportedly grew from near-zero valuation in 2023 to an estimated $5 million–$25 million within a year, while also claiming that its officers previously managed assets worth up to $60 billion.
The winery’s value also rose significantly in 2024, following earlier fraud-related allegations that did not result in charges against Omar.
The renewed attention on Omar’s finances is unfolding alongside continued political fallout from the Feeding Our Future scandal in Minnesota, one of the largest COVID-19 aid fraud cases in US history. Federal prosecutors say hundreds of millions of dollars meant to feed low-income children during the pandemic were misappropriated by individuals and organisations across the state.
Omar has not been implicated in the fraud. She has, however, spoken publicly about systemic failures that allowed the scheme to flourish, citing the speed with which pandemic relief programmes were rolled out.
“I just think that a lot of the COVID programs were set up so quickly that a lot of the guardrails did not get created,” Omar told CNN earlier this month.
Still, conservative lawmakers and commentators have intensified calls for broader investigations into Minnesota’s political leadership during the period, including Democratic Governor Tim Walz, with Omar frequently named in partisan critiques. Representative Brian Babin of Texas described Minnesota as a “fraud factory” on social media and urged authorities to “investigate everything.”
Supporters of Omar argue that the focus on her finances reflects a familiar pattern faced by high-profile Black women leaders in the United States, where political disagreement often blurs into personal scrutiny. They note that financial disclosure reviews are common for elected officials and emphasise that allegations and investigations do not constitute proof of misconduct.
As of now, neither the US House Ethics Committee nor federal prosecutors have announced any formal investigation into Omar’s personal finances.
The congresswoman has not issued a new public statement specifically addressing the latest reports.
