Report on Omar Marriage Application Surfaces as DOJ Examines Her 2009 Marriage and Name

The New York Post reported Friday that a certified-looking copy of a 2009 Hennepin County, Minnesota, marriage license application shows Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., crossed out and revised her surname twice on the form for her marriage to Ahmed Nur Said Elmi. The document, dated February 12, 2009, initially listed her last name as Omar, then replaced it with Elmi, then reverted to Omar. The Justice Department is investigating whether the marriage was a sham and whether Omar gave an accurate legal name and birthdate when she gained citizenship in 2000. A DOJ court filing last week named her as Ilhan Nur Said Elmi, also known as Ilhan Abdullahi Omar. The Department of Homeland Security is also examining immigration and financial disclosure matters. Omar, asked in an MS NOW interview whether she married her brother, answered "Not to my knowledge" and called the claim "insane." She denies wrongdoing, and no court has found she committed immigration fraud. Elmi, a University of Bristol doctoral researcher, described himself as a gay man in an August academic paper. Joe Radinovich, an adviser to Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, wrote on X Thursday that the allegation is almost certainly true. President Donald Trump has said Omar could be jailed or deported and should resign.

Right-leaning outlets lead with the investigation. Breitbart builds on the Post's report, framing the crossed-out surname as showing Omar "appeared unsure" of her name, citing a source who called Omar a fictitious name and noting Elmi's self-description. Fox News takes a wider political view, saying reports indicate the Obama administration examined the allegations in 2016. It centers on Trump's repeated attacks on Omar, then notes that Congress, not the president, decides who sits under Article I, Section 5. Left-leaning outlets had not reported this story at the time of writing, while right-leaning and alternative outlets had. TMZ matches Breitbart on the application edits. ZeroHedge adds Elmi's academic paper, Omar's interview answer and Radinovich's comment.