A federal court filing connected to the investigation of Rep. Ilhan Omar has identified the Minnesota Democrat as “Ilhan Nur Said Elmi, a/k/a Ilhan Abdullahi Omar,” while two sources familiar with the investigation told Fox News Digital that Elmi was her birth surname.
The disclosure appeared in a Justice Department motion filed Wednesday as prosecutors fought requests from news organizations and Judicial Watch to unseal records connected to the October 12 search of Omar’s Washington, D.C., residence.
“Before the Court are three Applications to unseal” materials related to the residence of “Congresswoman Ilhan Nur Said Elmi, a/k/a Ilhan Abdullahi Omar,” prosecutors wrote. Fox News Digital subsequently reported that two people familiar with the federal investigation, including a law enforcement source, said Omar’s birth name was Ilhan Nur Said Elmi.
One source told Fox News that Omar was not her birth name, although the Justice Department filing itself does not explain why prosecutors used Elmi as the primary surname or Omar as an alias. Omar’s office strongly disputed the report, telling Fox News, “This is completely false. Ilhan Omar is her real name.”
The unusual designation has drawn particular attention because Omar’s former husband is named Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, whom she legally married in 2009 before the couple separated and eventually divorced in 2017.
Critics have alleged for years that Elmi was Omar’s brother and that their marriage was arranged for immigration purposes, an accusation Omar has repeatedly and emphatically denied and which has not been established in court.
During an MS NOW interview with Chris Hayes this week, Omar again described the allegation that she married her brother as “insane,” while answering “Not to my knowledge” when Hayes separately asked whether she was related to Elmi. Omar’s spokesperson later said that response was sarcastic and reiterated that the congresswoman has repeatedly denied being related to her former husband.
Attorney General Todd Blanche declined to explain the naming issue in detail but told the New York Post that federal prosecutors would not simply invent names used in court documents, adding that evidence gathered during investigations is used in government motions.
Federal investigators are examining whether Omar or members of her family made false statements on immigration and naturalization documents, with questions reportedly focusing on her identity, birth information and family history.
Omar was born in Somalia, came to the United States as a refugee in 1995 and became a naturalized American citizen in 2000, according to her official biography and public accounts.
She has publicly said that her original birth certificate was destroyed during the upheaval in Somalia, making other government and family records potentially important to investigators attempting to reconstruct her immigration history.
The investigation escalated dramatically October 12 when Homeland Security Investigations agents searched Omar’s residence and seized items including her cellphone and passport. Investigators have also questioned Omar’s sister, Sahra Noor, and are examining additional evidence as part of the broader inquiry.
The government’s latest filing was prompted by attempts from 14 media organizations, The New York Times and Judicial Watch to gain access to the still-sealed search warrant materials. Prosecutors asked the court to delay their response because execution of the warrant remains incomplete, suggesting investigative activity connected to the search is continuing.
