In unusual move, Republican chairman scrutinizes companies tied to
husband of Rep. Ilhan Omar
[February 07, 2026]
By STEPHEN GROVES
WASHINGTON (AP) — The chairman of the House Oversight Committee on
Friday requested records related to firms partially owned by the husband
of Minnesota Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar, taking the extraordinary step
of scrutinizing the spouse of a sitting House member.
Rep. James Comer, a Kentucky Republican, released a letter to Timothy
Mynett, a former Democratic political consultant who is married to Omar,
requesting records related to a pair of companies that had a substantial
jump in value between 2023 and 2024, according to financial disclosures
filed by the congresswoman.
Comer's request marked a highly unusual move by the chair of a committee
with a history of taking on politically-charged investigations, but
almost always focused on government officials outside of Congress. The
House Ethics Committee, which is comprised of an equal number of
Democrats and Republicans and tries to stay away from political fights,
typically handles allegations involving lawmakers and their family
members.
Yet since her 2018 election as one of the first Muslim women in the
House, Omar has received nearly-nonstop attacks from the right. She has
dismissed allegations around her finances as “misleading" and based on
conspiracy theories.
A spokesperson for Omar, Jackie Rogers, said in a statement that Comer’s
letter was “a political stunt” and part of a campaign “meant to
fundraise, not real oversight.”
“This is an attempt to orchestrate a smear campaign against the
congresswoman, and it is disgusting that our tax dollars are being used
to malign her,” Rogers added.
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Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., speaks during a press conference on
Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Adam Gray)
Comer has also displayed a willingness to push the traditional
parameters of the Oversight panel. In a separate investigation into
Jeffrey Epstein, he is enforcing subpoenas for depositions from
former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former President Bill
Clinton, marking the first time a former president will be forced to
appear before Congress.
In the letter to Mynett on Friday, Comer said, “There are serious
public concerns about how your businesses increased so dramatically
in value only a year after reporting very limited assets.”
There is no evidence of wrongdoing by Omar, but President Donald
Trump also said last month that the Department of Justice is looking
into her finances.
In response to the president, Omar said on social media that “your
support is collapsing and you’re panicking,” adding that "Years of
‘investigations’ have found nothing.”
The scrutiny of Omar's finances comes from a required financial
disclosure statement she filed in May last year. She reported then
that two firms tied to her husband, a winery called eStCru and an
investment firm called Rose Lake Capital, had risen in value by at
least $5.9 million dollars. Lawmakers report assets within ranges of
dollar figures, so it was not clear exactly how much the firms had
risen in value or what ownership stake Mynett had in them.
Omar has also pointed out that her husband's reported income from
the winery was between $5,000 and $15,000 and none from Rose Lake
Capital.
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