A Washington D.C.-based consulting firm co-owned by Democratic Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar's husband, Tim Mynett, managed to receive $500,000 in coronavirus relief money besides garnering millions from her campaign, new public records show. The news once again raises questions on Omar's misuse of power and how she continued to channelize money to her husband's firm, which were either owned or co-owned.
Moreover, Omar in recent times have denied any wrongdoings but public records continue to tell different stories. Mynett's firms have often become the center of controversy with allegations of raking up millions from Omar's campaign over the past few months, especially after their marriage.
Raking up Millions
According to public records, E-Street Group, which is co-owned by Mynett, received as much as $500,000 in Economic Injury Disaster loans besides raking in $135,000 in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
The PPP was launched in a bid to bail out small businesses that have suffered financially due to the coronavirus-induced lockdowns. E-Street's Linkedin profile shows that the company has between 11 to 50 employees.
Further, campaign finance filings also show that E-Street Group received millions during the 2020 campaign from Omar. The payments are in varied form. One amount is of $110,000 for digital advertising split in three payouts: $5,000 for digital consulting, $12,000 for fundraising consulting, and more than $11,000 for digital and literature production between late October and the day after the general election.
That said, huge money didn't come only from Omar's campaign. Federal Election Commission filings show that E-Street Group received payments for other campaigns, including $175,000 from the committee of Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash. Besides, $130,000 was received from the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party.
Not Ethical
Last month, Fox News reported that Omar campaign funneled a whopping $1.6 million to E Street Group LLC from the start of 2019 to July 22, 2020. Another $1.1 million was sent to the firm in the third quarter and $27,000 in the following weeks.
Fingers have time and again been pointed at Omar for funneling campaign money to her husband's firm. She too has often defended her expenses and said her campaign worked with Mynett's firm long before they began a relationship.
Omar had pledged in mid-November that she was severing ties with Mynett's firm and the payments were made before that. She has also denied any wrongdoings but questions continue to rise given the hefty amounts that get reflected in campaign filings time and again. Be it before her marriage or after, her actions remain questionable including her marriage to Mynett. Omar and Mynett married in March, and just weeks after they tied the knot, the consulting firm was paid $189,000 by Omar's campaign.
