Rep. Ilhan Omar is facing unusual criticism from within Minnesota’s Democratic Party after former state lawmaker Joe Radinovich publicly questioned her longstanding denials of marriage-fraud allegations. Radinovich, a former Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor state representative and longtime political operative, said Thursday that Democrats should take the accusations surrounding Omar more seriously.
“Democrats should understand that the allegation is almost certainly true,” Radinovich wrote while discussing claims that Omar married her brother, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi. Radinovich said Democrats could reach different conclusions about the significance of the allegation but questioned Omar’s characterization of it as a racist or Islamophobic conspiracy.
His comments represent a notable departure from the defense Omar has received from many Democratic allies since the allegations first surfaced during her Minnesota political career. Radinovich served in the Minnesota House from 2013 through 2015 and later became deeply involved in Democratic campaigns across the state.
He managed former Democratic Rep. Rick Nolan’s 2016 congressional campaign before running Jacob Frey’s successful 2017 campaign for Minneapolis mayor and subsequently serving as Frey’s chief of staff. Radinovich was also the Democratic nominee for Minnesota’s 8th Congressional District in 2018, losing the general election to Republican Pete Stauber.
More recently, Radinovich worked on Democratic primary campaigns challenging Omar, including former Minneapolis City Council member Don Samuels’ unsuccessful efforts against her in 2022 and 2024. That history has become part of Omar’s response to Radinovich, with her campaign arguing that his criticism is driven by longstanding political hostility toward the congresswoman.
Omar’s campaign called Radinovich a “deeply troubled individual” whose opposition had developed into an “irrational obsession” following his involvement in campaigns against her. The campaign also said his allegations were “false, biased, and without any evidence,” continuing Omar’s categorical rejection of claims that her marriage involved immigration fraud. But they would say that – wouldn’t they?
Radinovich’s comments quickly triggered pushback from Briana Rose Lee, a Minneapolis DFL activist who previously worked in Omar’s campaign operation. Lee accused Radinovich of lending credibility to what she described as a “baseless and manufactured witch hunt” against Omar.
Radinovich refused to back down, responding that he remained deeply skeptical of President Donald Trump’s Justice Department while separating those concerns from his assessment of the marriage allegation. “You’re right. I’m not stupid,” Radinovich responded.
He nevertheless said he was “pretty confident this specific allegation is true,” while noting that a federal judge had authorized the recent search of Omar’s Washington residence. Radinovich also urged Democrats to exercise caution when discussing separate questions surrounding Omar’s finances, arguing that significant issues remain publicly unanswered.
The controversy comes amid renewed federal scrutiny of Omar’s immigration and citizenship history, including an Oct. 12 search of her Washington-area residence by Homeland Security Investigations. The Justice Department confirmed that the judicially authorized search was connected to an ongoing federal criminal investigation, although authorities have not charged Omar with a crime.
Omar has described the investigation as politically motivated and accused the Trump administration of using federal law enforcement against a prominent political opponent. The congresswoman has also repeatedly denied allegations that Elmi, whom she legally married in 2009, was her brother or that the marriage was arranged to obtain immigration benefits.
During an October interview with MS NOW’s Chris Hayes, Omar again rejected the accusation and described the longstanding claim as “insane.” When Hayes separately asked whether she was related to Elmi in any way, Omar responded, “Not to my knowledge,” while laughing at the allegation.
