Rep. Omar campaign payments accounted for 80% of husband's firm's cash input
The E Street Group received $3.7 million from political committees this past cycle, keeping it afloat
Rep. Ilhan Omar's (D-MN) campaign payments to her husband's consultancy firm accounted for approximately 80 percent of its cash haul during the 2020 elections, federal filings show, according to the Washington Free Beacon.
The E Street Group, a Washington, DC, consulting firm which Omar's husband, Tim Mynett and his business partner Will Hailer own, received $3.7 million from political committees this past cycle.
"Omar's campaign was by far its biggest moneymaker, writing more than 140 checks for a grand total of $2.9 million, or 78 percent of the firm's payments. Its second biggest cash source was Omar mentor Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), whose campaign provided $194,000. The two combined for 85 percent of the firm's payments," reported the Beacon.
As a result, House Republicans, who have had plenty of distractions over the last week or so, between the Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) situation and the fate of their third-most senior lawmaker Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) introduced a bill Friday to prevent candidates from adding their spouses to the campaign payroll -- dubbing it the OMAR act, according to the Washington Times.
Omar has come under increasing scrutiny for her use of Mynett's firm, after previously large payments were also uncovered, including reports E Street Group received a significant tranche of COVID-19 relief money - to the tune of approximately $500,000.
Having denied for several months that there was any conflict of interest, Omar abruptly informed her supporters in the aftermath of the November 3 election that she would cut ties with the firm.
The Congresswoman, one of the members of the so-called Squad, said that she and her campaign had decided to terminate the contract with the consultancy company to avoid any "perceived issue."
The legislation's sponsors said that the problem was bigger than any single candidate.
“For too long, lawmakers of both political parties have engaged in the ethically dubious practice of pocketing campaign funds by ‘hiring’ their spouses and laundering the money as campaign-related expenses,” said Rep. Tom Tiffany, Wisconsin Republican, in a statement.