A prominent Minnesota Democrat is breaking with his party over Rep. Ilhan Omar, saying allegations that she married her brother are “almost certainly true” and warning that unresolved questions about her finances will not disappear.
Joe Radinovich, a former Minnesota state representative and influential Democratic operative, made the comments in a series of Thursday posts on X. His statements challenged Omar’s longstanding denials and the party’s efforts to portray the allegations as a right-wing conspiracy.
“Democrats should understand that the allegation is almost certainly true — whatever conclusions they draw from that point could vary — and her denials calling it a right-wing, Islamophobic or racist conspiracy are almost certainly not,” Radinovich wrote.
The remarks come as federal investigators continue examining Omar’s immigration history and finances. Radinovich argued that Democrats should reconsider their automatic defense of the embattled congresswoman.
“And then I’d be very, very careful about how I qualified on allegations around her finances — where her defense looks similar and where no meaningful questions have been answered publicly, and where any objective look at the evidence doesn’t look…great,” he added.
Radinovich’s comments soon triggered a public exchange with Briana Rose Lee, a Minneapolis Democratic activist who previously worked for Omar’s campaign operation.
“Joe. You aren’t stupid. You know this is a baseless and manufactured witch hunt. I’m actually surprised to see this from you,” Lee wrote. “It’s a new low.”
Radinovich, however, stood by his remarks.
“You’re right. I’m not stupid,” he replied, while acknowledging that he has little confidence in President Trump’s Justice Department. He also questioned the timing of the federal raid on Omar’s Washington, D.C., residence.
Here’s the latest on the ongoing immigration investigation of Rep. Ilhan Omar
“Though it’s pretty notable that a D.C. judge signed off on it,” he added, before saying he was “pretty confident this specific allegation is true.”
In another post, Radinovich reinforced his position, arguing that people who accept Omar’s denials must be disregarding what he described as a substantial body of evidence.
“Vibes is what it would take to believe her at this point,” he wrote. “There’s plenty of evidence and sourcing available if you don’t dismiss it out of hand.”
The break is notable because of Radinovich’s longstanding connections to Minnesota’s Democratic establishment.
Radinovich represented Minnesota in the state House from 2013 to 2015. He later managed Democrat Rick Nolan’s 2016 congressional campaign, ran Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey’s successful 2017 campaign and served as Frey’s chief of staff.
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Ilhan Omar’s relative timeline
Significant dates in Rep. Ilhan Omar’s relationship history that critics say point to a potential sham marriage with her brother.
He also played a role in two unsuccessful Democratic primary challenges against Omar, working with Don Samuels in 2022 and 2024.
Omar, who represents Minnesota’s heavily Democratic 5th Congressional District, has repeatedly denied allegations that she married her brother, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, in 2009 as part of an alleged immigration fraud scheme.Â
The controversy has surrounded the congresswoman for nearly a decade, but has resurfaced amid new federal scrutiny over her immigration history.
Homeland Security Investigation agents raided Omar’s Washington D.C. home on Oct. 12, seizing her passport, phone and computer.
Federal investigators are examining whether Omar or her late father, Nur Mohamed, fraudulently provided information on citizenship paperwork decades ago. The investigation could potentially have consequences for her citizenship status.
During former President Barack Obama’s administration, feds opened an investigation into the alleged marriage scheme in 2016. The probe was open until 2021, but was closed by the Biden administration.
No criminal charges have been filed against Omar over the allegations, and her office continues to dismiss the claims as “politically motivated smears.â€
Omar’s campaign responded to Radinovich’s claims to Fox News Digital on Friday.
“Joe is a deeply troubled individual whose demons have sadly manifested as an irrational obsession with Congresswoman Omar after managing two losing campaigns against her,†the campaign said to the outlet.
“His claims are false, biased, and without any evidence. While he was once seen as a rising star within the party, Joe is now widely recognized as a shill for Republican and Corporate money.â€