Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) officially filed for a divorce from her second husband on Friday amid allegations that she has been involved in an extramarital affair with a national political strategist who her congressional campaign had previously hired.
“There has been an irretrievable breakdown of the marriage relationship,” according to court records filed in the state of Minnesota. Omar is seeking “joint legal and physical custody” of the couple’s three children, all of whom are minors, as she separates from her husband of just one year, Ahmed Abdisalan Hirsi.
The freshman congresswoman and Hirsi were married in a religious ceremony in 2002, but separated in 2008. However, the duo legally married a decade later, in 2018.
Omar, a Somali refugee to the Minneapolis area, has been embroiled in allegations of committing immigration fraud by marrying her own brother, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, in an attempt to facilitate his acquisition of United States citizenship. Omar legally married Elmi, a British citizen, in early 2009, and reportedly religiously divorced him in 2011. However, it wasn’t until 2017 that Omar and Elmi obtained a legal divorce — Omar and Hirsi were legally married only a month later.
Minnesota campaign finance officials revealed in June that Omar and Hirsi jointly filed their taxes together in both 2014 and 2015, which is prohibited under federal law since she was legally married to Elmi at that time. Omar and Hirsi were allegedly still living together throughout the entirety of Omar’s marriage to Elmi.
The divorce comes less that two months after reports first emerged that Omar has been involved in an extramarital affair with Tim Mynett, a Washington, D.C.-based political consultant. Mynett and his company, E. Street Group, have received approximately $230,000 through her campaign for fundraising consulting, digital communications, internet advertising, and travel expenses, reported the New York Post.
Omar was spotted with Mynett in March dining at a secluded California restaurant and holding hands. His then-wife, Beth, filed for divorce in August, alleging that her husband had left her for the Democratic lawmaker. However, the couple initially separated in April after Mynett told his wife of the romantic relationship.
“Defendant met Rep. Omar while working for her,” the court document states. “Although devastated by the betrayal and deceit that preceded his abrupt declaration, Plaintiff told Defendant that she loved him, and was willing to fight for the marriage … Defendant, however, told her that was not an option for him.”
The filings further state that Mynett moved out of the couple’s home the following day.
Beth Mynett subsequently sought primary physical custody of the couple’s child over his “extensive travel” with the congresswoman, which was reportedly not part of his job description, according to the New York Post.
“Defendant’s more recent travel and long work hours now appear to be more related to his affair with Rep. Omar than with his actual work commitments,” the divorce filings state.
Hirsi reportedly asked Omar for a divorce after the Mynetts filed for divorce and the extramarital bombshell became public.
Both Omar and Mynett have denied allegations of an affair.