Omar and her Brother

Report: Obama Admin Uncovered Evidence Against Omar's Marriage

Federal investigators found evidence during the Obama administration suggesting that Rep. Ilhan Omar's 2009 marriage to a man suspected of being her brother was intended to help him obtain a green card, but the case stalled chiefly because prosecutors concluded the suspected offense fell outside a five-year statute of limitations, according to a new report.

The FBI and Department of Homeland Security investigated the marriage in the summer of 2016, current and former officials told The New York Times in a report published Thursday.

The officials' account challenges Omar's characterization of the earlier inquiry as having debunked allegations that she married her brother to help him obtain a green card.

The newspaper said it remains unclear what evidence investigators had establishing that Omar and her former husband, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, are siblings. Marrying a person to help them obtain a green card is illegal under federal law, while marrying a sibling is illegal under state law.

However, the newspaper noted that it remains unclear whether federal prosecutors could pursue charges against Omar despite the statute of limitations for marriage-based immigration fraud.

Six current and former officials familiar with the 2016 investigation told the Times that agents found evidence suggesting Omar and Elmi were siblings. The officials said investigators had limited tools to develop the case because prosecutors did not pursue it.

Omar has repeatedly denied the allegations about her and her ex-husband.

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