Comer claims Omar husband's winery closed over fraud
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., stated that a winery co-owned by the husband of Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., was shuttered due to fraud claims. The congresswoman's husband, Tim Mynett, co-founded the California-based business eStCru in 2020 with a partner. Comer made the comments over the weekend on Fox News' "Sunday Night in America," telling host Trey Gowdy that the winery had been selling empty barrels to investors while labeling them as "wine to be aged." The winery closed in April of this year amid congressional scrutiny of Omar's finances. Comer said his initial investigation of Omar and her financial disclosure form revealed multiple areas where a search warrant could be issued. He cited a huge discrepancy in the financial disclosure form and noted that the winery was the primary basis for a $25 million listing on her form. According to Comer, press reports indicate the winery was shut down because of fraud. These details have resurfaced recently as part of a federal probe into Omar's citizenship. Federal law enforcement executed a search warrant at her Washington, D.C., home earlier this month. The operation was linked to allegations that she and her father misrepresented her age to obtain American citizenship more easily. Omar's critics, including House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., have called for her deportation if the allegations are proved true. Omar and her allies have denied wrongdoing and characterized the investigation as a partisan hit job against a vocal opponent of President Donald Trump. The House Oversight Committee previously probed Omar's finances after her public disclosures showed a rapid and unexplained increase in net worth. Omar previously attributed the discrepancy to an accidental accounting error. In a February letter sent weeks before the business closed, Comer wrote to Mynett regarding the value of eStCru on Omar's financial forms. He noted that her 2023 form listed a stake worth between $15,001 and $50,000, while the following year's form listed a stake worth between $1,000,001 and $5,000,000. Comer expressed serious public concerns about how the businesses increased so dramatically in value one year after reporting limited assets. In mid-April, Omar told The Wall Street Journal that she and her husband have less than $100,000 combined. A spokesperson for the House Oversight Committee told Fox News Digital that Comer referred the case of Omar's finances to the House Ethics Committee for review months ago. The committee encouraged the ethics panel to review the concerning allegations. The bipartisan House Ethics Committee is tasked with investigating accusations of impropriety by lawmakers and recommending punishments if wrongdoing is found. It has not yet taken up Omar's case.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., stated that a winery co-owned by the husband of Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., was shuttered due to fraud claims. The congresswoman's husband, Tim Mynett, co-founded the California-based business eStCru in 2020 with a partner. Comer made the comments over the weekend on Fox News' "Sunday Night in America," telling host Trey Gowdy that the winery had been selling empty barrels to investors while labeling them as "wine to be aged." The winery closed in April of this year amid congressional scrutiny of Omar's finances. Comer said his initial investigation of Omar and her financial disclosure form revealed multiple areas where a search warrant could be issued. He cited a huge discrepancy in the financial disclosure form and noted that the winery was the primary basis for a $25 million listing on her form. According to Comer, press reports indicate the winery was shut down because of fraud. These details have resurfaced recently as part of a federal probe into Omar's citizenship. Federal law enforcement executed a search warrant at her Washington, D.C., home earlier this month. The operation was linked to allegations that she and her father misrepresented her age to obtain American citizenship more easily. Omar's critics, including House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., have called for her deportation if the allegations are proved true. Omar and her allies have denied wrongdoing and characterized the investigation as a partisan hit job against a vocal opponent of President Donald Trump. The House Oversight Committee previously probed Omar's finances after her public disclosures showed a rapid and unexplained increase in net worth. Omar previously attributed the discrepancy to an accidental accounting error. In a February letter sent weeks before the business closed, Comer wrote to Mynett regarding the value of eStCru on Omar's financial forms. He noted that her 2023 form listed a stake worth between $15,001 and $50,000, while the following year's form listed a stake worth between $1,000,001 and $5,000,000. Comer expressed serious public concerns about how the businesses increased so dramatically in value one year after reporting limited assets. In mid-April, Omar told The Wall Street Journal that she and her husband have less than $100,000 combined. A spokesperson for the House Oversight Committee told Fox News Digital that Comer referred the case of Omar's finances to the House Ethics Committee for review months ago. The committee encouraged the ethics panel to review the concerning allegations. The bipartisan House Ethics Committee is tasked with investigating accusations of impropriety by lawmakers and recommending punishments if wrongdoing is found. It has not yet taken up Omar's case.