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By Joshua Rhett Miller
Senior Reporter
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Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar has a duty as an elected official to prove "she can still serve" amid an ongoing federal immigration investigation, her Republican opponent said Thursday.
John Nagel, a former state trooper vying to unseat Omar in Minnesota's 5th Congressional District, called for transparency from the four-term lawmaker as federal authorities probe potential fraud in her immigration paperwork.
"She is an elected representative," Nagel told Newsweek during an interview. "It is her obligation to show the public that she can still serve us. All she would have to do is release her files — her immigration files — do a typical DNA test, and she can put all of this stuff behind her. If I were her and I had all of these things going on, and I was innocent, I'd be saying: 'Hey, I want to take care of this, I want to put it behind me, so I can prove to the people of Minnesota that I'm here representing them.'"
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Nagel, a 30-year veteran of the Minnesota State Patrol, said Omar faces what he described as "very serious allegations" following a raid by federal agents at her Washington home earlier this month.
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"We're all going to find out in the next few months," Nagel said of the investigation into Omar. Her office did not respond to multiple requests for comment Thursday.
Nagel, 70, acknowledged that Omar enjoys the same rights as any other American, including the right to remain silent, as the controversy swirls just days ahead of Tuesday's midterm elections, which will determine control of the House and Senate.
"She hasn't been charged with anything yet, OK?" he said. "She hasn't been convicted of anything or charged, and that's why in my opinion, if she were me, I would be sitting there going, 'Hey guys, here's everything you need to know about me because I want you to investigate me and I want to get this behind me so I can go back to Washington and actually focus on the needs of Minnesota.'"
Nagel argued the federal probe is diverting attention away from the concerns of voters.
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"Because right now, she's not focusing on the needs of Minnesota," he told Newsweek.
If elected, Nagel, a lifelong resident of St. Louis Park, vows to restore "safety, sanity and service" to Minnesota's 5th Congressional District, which includes Minneapolis.
"He is running because working families are being squeezed while our streets grow less safe," Nagel's website reads. "The current Democrat trend toward socialist policies rooted in Marxist ideals is dangerous and must be reversed. John is running because Minnesotans deserve a representative who puts people before politics."
Nagel, a married father of two who won a GOP primary in August, centers his life around "faith, family and public service," according to the site.
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"Throughout his life, John has made tough calls in high-stakes environments," Nagel's website reads. "Now, he is stepping up once more to serve his neighbors, his city, and his country."
Some signs indicate Nagel has an uphill battle to unseat Omar, who was first elected to the House in 2018. The four-term progressive lawmaker has a 96 percent chance to win next week's election as of Thursday, according to Kalshi prediction market data. In 2024, Omar garnered more than 74 percent of votes in the left-leaning district, which includes Minneapolis. The Cook Political Report also rates the race as "solid Democrat," indicating she's widely expected to retain her seat.
The Somali-born congresswoman is currently being investigated by federal authorities regarding potential fraud in her family's immigration paperwork. President Donald Trump has also called on Omar to resign after a federal court filing identified the Democrat as "Ilhan Nur Said Elmi, a/k/a Ilhan Abdullahi Omar." Trump and other conservative critics have repeatedly alleged, without providing evidence, that Omar married her brother, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, to circumvent immigration laws. Omar has consistently denied the allegation.
Omar, 44, vehemently dismissed the probe as politically motivated earlier this month.
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"Make no mistake: this is an attempt to target political enemies and weaponize federal law enforcement," Omar wrote on X hours after federal agents raided her Washington home on October 12. "For ten years, Trump has targeted me with baseless lies and smear campaigns. This is just the latest escalation in his campaign of political intimidation. I will not be silenced."
During an interview with MS NOW, Omar described as "insane" claims that she had introduced her former husband, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, to others as her brother. Asked directly whether she was related to Elmi, a British national whom she married in 2009 and divorced in 2017, Omar replied: "Not to my knowledge."
Her campaign spokesperson, Jackie Rogers, subsequently said the response was sarcastic and reiterated that Omar had repeatedly denied the allegations.
Federal investigators have obtained a sample of Omar's DNA amid the ongoing probe, a source close to the matter previously told Newsweek. No DNA test results have been publicly disclosed.
In an October 27 court filing opposing the release of search-warrant records, the Justice Department said the warrant had not yet been fully executed and that a charging decision had not yet been reached or publicly announced. The filing did not disclose any DNA test results.
According to The New York Times, which cited current and former officials familiar with the matter, the FBI and Department of Homeland Security investigated Omar's 2009 marriage in 2016 and found evidence that raised concerns about possible fraud.
But the probe later stalled primarily because prosecutors deemed the potential felony fell outside a five-year statute of limitations, the newspaper reported Thursday, citing sources whose careers spanned multiple White House administrations.
Nagel pointed to a New York Times report that said investigators had examined the matter during the Obama administration.
"So, this investigation goes all the way back to the Obama years, where they found things," Nagel said. "As far as the statute of limitations goes, there are many other things that appear went on that will continue the ability to charge someone."
Nagel also criticized Omar for appearing Monday with political commentator Hasan Piker at an event in Minneapolis. Piker said during a 2019 livestream that America "deserved" the September 11 terrorist attacks.
"I mean, you know who he is and you know he has said some pretty terrible, vulgar things," Nagel said. "I don't care if you're Republican, Democrat or an independent — why would you go and be with a person like that? That's just beyond me."
Omar, a longtime vocal critic of President Trump, has recently urged voters to exercise their civic duties ahead of Election Day.
"America deserves better than the pedophile protection party," Omar wrote in a post Tuesday on X. "Knock doors. Make calls. Get your friends to vote. Let's elect Democrats up and down the ballot and finally make Trump release the Epstein files."
Nagel, meanwhile, headed to the polls earlier this week while accompanied by his granddaughter. He hopes his family-centric approach will help deliver an upset victory on Tuesday.
"I am depending on the good people of Minnesota," he told Newsweek. "If everybody comes out and votes, that's what we're looking for. And you know, quite frankly, it's in God's hands. If I could tell you what was going to happen, I wouldn't be sitting here — I'd go out and buy a lottery ticket. So, you know, we'll have to wait and see."
Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Jason Lemon and Rhian Morgan.
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