Federal prosecutors allegedly sought to recruit a former bodyguard for Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar as a confidential informant while building a potential criminal case against the Minnesota congresswoman.
Abdullahi Mohamed briefly worked on Omar’s security detail during an overseas trip. According to his attorney, investigators offered assistance with Mohamed’s immigration case in return for damaging information about the lawmaker.
Attorney Bruce Rivers said prosecutors spent months pressing his client for details about Omar’s immigration history, marriages and finances, The New York Times reported.
Rivers also made the extraordinary claim that investigators repeatedly told him the Omar inquiry was being directed from the White House.
Officials allegedly described the investigation as “100 percent being run by 1600 Pennsylvania Ave,” a reference to the White House’s address.
“I’ve never seen anything like this in my almost 28 years practicing law in federal court,” Rivers told The Times.
The allegations offer a new window into the Justice Department’s investigation of Omar, who has consistently denied wrongdoing and accused President Donald Trump’s administration of targeting her for political reasons.
Part of the inquiry has centered on Omar’s 2009 marriage to Ahmed Nur Said Elmi. Investigators have examined whether the marriage was arranged to help a man believed to be her brother obtain a green card.
Abdullahi Mohamed briefly served on the Minnesota Democrat’s security detail during an overseas trip and was allegedly offered immigration assistance in exchange for information that could harm the congresswoman
Homeland Security officers stand beside unmarked vehicles during a search of Omar’s Washington residence on October 12
Congress has increased taxpayer-funded security for lawmakers, allowing House members to spend as much as $20,000 a month on personal protection, or $240,000 a year
Omar has repeatedly rejected the allegations.
Mohamed’s legal troubles began in October 2025, when he applied for a green card after marrying an American woman in Minnesota.
At a routine immigration interview, officials asked whether he had worked for the Somali government or interacted with American politicians and government officials.
He answered no, although he had briefly served on Omar’s security detail during a trip to Puntland in northeastern Somalia and had visited her Capitol Hill office.
Rivers said Mohamed’s limited English proficiency prevented him from fully understanding the questions.
His green card application was rejected. Then, in February, the Justice Department notified him that he was under criminal investigation for allegedly lying under oath to a government official.
The felony charge carries a possible prison sentence of up to five years.
In March, prosecutors summoned Mohamed to a proffer session, a meeting in which investigators questioned him about Omar’s personal and financial affairs.
Rivers said prosecutors asked about Omar’s journey from Somalia, her marital history and a possible $10,000 payment involving the congresswoman and one of Mohamed’s brothers.
Investigators allegedly characterized the payment as a potential bribe.
Rivers said prosecutors offered to help keep Mohamed from being deported if he supplied damaging information about Omar.
After Mohamed’s green card application was denied, the Justice Department notified him in February that he was under criminal investigation for allegedly lying under oath to a government official
Mohamed’s attorney, Bruce Rivers, said prosecutors questioned his client about Omar’s immigration journey from Somalia, her marriages and a possible $10,000 payment involving the congresswoman and one of Mohamed’s brothers
A man is tackled after spraying an unidentified substance at Omar during a town hall she hosted in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on January 27
“The overarching theme was ‘give us everything and anything,’” Rivers said, describing the session as a “fishing expedition.”
Mohamed reportedly told investigators he had no incriminating information about the congresswoman.
He later asked his brother about the $10,000 payment and was told it had been used to repay a loan, according to Rivers.
After Mohamed declined to cooperate, prosecutors secured a grand jury indictment against him in April.
The case shifted direction several months later, in September.
Mohamed testified before a Washington grand jury on September 3. His attorney said prosecutors granted him immunity for potentially self-incriminating testimony.
The next day, prosecutors asked the court to dismiss the indictment, saying there was no longer a federal interest in pursuing the case because Mohamed had entered deportation proceedings.
He subsequently left the United States for Kenya, leaving his American wife behind.
Omar’s spokesperson told The New York Times that the congresswoman had never directly employed Mohamed and condemned the alleged attempt to recruit him
Rivers alleged that prosecutors repeatedly said the investigation into Omar was being directed from the White House, describing it as “100% being run by 1600 Pennsylvania Ave”
At a March event launching an anti-fraud task force led by Vice President JD Vance, Trump called Omar “one of the ringleaders” and said he hoped she would be investigated
Omar’s spokesperson told The New York Times that the congresswoman had never directly employed Mohamed and denounced the alleged recruitment effort.
“This is a staggering abuse of presidential power and a blatant weaponization of the full federal government to intimidate political opponents,” Rogers said.
In a statement, the department said the matter was “completely unrelated to any current investigations.”
The latest allegations follow an October search of Omar’s Washington home by federal agents. Investigators also issued subpoenas requiring several people close to her to testify before a grand jury.
Trump has repeatedly called for Omar to face scrutiny over claims concerning her immigration history.
At a March event launching an anti-fraud task force headed by Vice President JD Vance, Trump described Omar as “one of the ringleaders” and said he hoped she would be investigated.
Vance later said he had discussed potential accountability for Omar over alleged immigration fraud with senior White House adviser Stephen Miller, who was promoted to chief of staff last week.
Omar, who won a fifth term in Congress last week, has denied wrongdoing and called the investigation political persecution.
The White House has not publicly confirmed Rivers’ claim that prosecutors were directing the investigation at the administration’s behest.
Our News Outlet contacted the Justice Department and the White House for comment.
