Mullin Says DHS Gave DOJ a 'Large Case' Against Omar; Prosecutors Say Probe Reaches Other People

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin says his department has presented a "large case" to the Justice Department in the investigation of Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., weeks after agents searched her Washington home.

"It is a large case that we have presented to the DOJ," Mullin said. He said Homeland Security Investigations did extensive work before handing it to prosecutors, and that the Justice Department now leads the matter.

Omar has not been charged with a crime.

Prosecutors say the inquiry is wider than one person

In a court filing this week opposing the release of records in the case, prosecutors wrote: "The investigation of [the Subject and] other individuals continues." The filing named no one else and described no roles.

On the day of the Washington search, agents served a second warrant at the home of Omar's sister, Sahra Noor, and removed boxes of documents. Grand jury subpoenas have gone to more than a dozen recipients, relatives among them. The grand jury sits in Minnesota, not Washington.

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said this month that "There are several investigations going on" involving the congresswoman. Her office has also opened a separate review of Omar's financial disclosures.

What the investigation is reportedly about

The government has not publicly laid out a theory of the case. The Justice Department has said only that agents executed a "judicially authorized search warrant" as part of an "ongoing federal criminal investigation."

People familiar with the investigation told CNN it centers on possible false statements on government documents and a potential conspiracy. They said investigators are examining whether Omar or her late father lied about her age when she became a citizen in 2000, claiming she was a minor when she was an adult. One source told CNN prosecutors could try to expand the case into a wider conspiracy across a larger group of people over years.

CBS News reported, citing sources, that the documents at issue date to Omar's childhood and involve paperwork completed by her late father, and that DHS took her personal cellphone. These accounts rest on anonymous sourcing. Neither the government nor Omar has confirmed them.

Omar emigrated from Somalia as a refugee around age 12, according to people familiar with her situation. She has also rejected the long-running claim that she married her brother. That claim has never been established.

The judge and the warrant

According to CNN's sources, Magistrate Judge Matthew Sharbaugh of the D.C. District Court limited how the Justice Department could access Omar's records before approving the warrant, citing her role as a member of Congress and the constitutional protections that come with it. CNN's sources said that followed a prolonged back-and-forth with prosecutors, who had argued for broad access.

Mullin has said "we had a judge sign it" and that investigators expect to take the case to a grand jury.

According to the filing, Attorney General Todd Blanche approved the warrant and attested that its timing was not meant to influence any election. NPR's sources said senior DOJ leadership, including Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter, were consulted and approved it.

The political fight

The search came less than a month before Election Day, with Omar seeking reelection. The Justice Department has an internal rule against publicly probing candidates within 60 days of an election. NPR noted the rule is not legally binding and that DOJ has applied it inconsistently.

Mullin rejected the idea that the case is political. "We're not weaponizing, we're not using political theater on this," he said. He added that enforcement does not turn on a person's office or party and that anyone who broke the law would be treated the same way.

On a podcast Oct. 16, Mullin said, "we wouldn't move forward, and President Trump didn't want to move forward either, unless we knew that it couldn't be politically driven." He called it a "strong case." He also floated that coordinated immigration fraud could be prosecuted under federal racketeering law, though he did not say that applied to Omar's family.

Omar says the opposite. "This is an attempt to target political enemies and weaponize federal law enforcement," she posted the day of the search. Her spokesperson, Jackie Rogers, called it an "outrageous abuse of power."

Former President Barack Obama wrote on X on Oct. 18 that "The government can't selectively target individuals simply because of their political beliefs."

More than 170 House Democrats urged the Justice Department on Monday to drop the inquiry. They pointed to a 2019 review under the first Trump administration that found insufficient evidence of wrongdoing.

President Trump said earlier this month: "I think she's a terrible person, but that's really up to the DOJ." He had previously said he knew nothing about the investigation.

Vice President JD Vance has alleged that Omar committed immigration fraud. She denies it. NPR's sources said the probe is multiyear and includes whistleblower complaints. That claim has not been tested in court.

What comes next

A referral from DHS is not a charging decision. Prosecutors have not said whether they will seek an indictment, and the Minnesota grand jury has not announced any action. Voters in Omar's district go to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 3.

The records dispute that produced this week's filing is still before the court. The identities of the "other individuals" prosecutors say remain under investigation are not public.