Vice President JD Vance said Tuesday that the Department of Justice is actively investigating Rep. Ilhan Omar, escalating scrutiny surrounding the Minnesota Democrat and fueling speculation about a potential federal indictment.
Vance made the comments during a White House press briefing where he temporarily filled in for press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who is currently on maternity leave.
The remarks came in response to a question from Daily Caller White House correspondent Reagan Reese regarding allegations involving Omar’s immigration history and prior federal probes into her finances and campaign activity.
“I don’t want to prejudge an investigation,” Vance said. “You read the things about Ilhan Omar, and about who she married, and whether she didn’t marry this person or that person. It certainly seems like something fishy is there. But everyone is entitled to equal justice under the laws.”
The vice president then confirmed that the matter is currently under federal review.
“So we’re going to investigate it, we’re going to take a look at it,” Vance said. “If we think there’s a crime, we’re going to prosecute that crime, and that’s something that the Department of Justice is looking at right now.”
The comments mark the clearest public acknowledgment yet from the Trump administration that Omar is facing an active DOJ investigation.
They also represent a significant escalation in a yearslong political controversy surrounding the congresswoman, who has repeatedly faced allegations tied to her personal relationships, campaign finances, and immigration history.
Omar has long denied wrongdoing and has previously dismissed Republican accusations against her as politically motivated attacks.
Tuesday’s revelation follows earlier reporting from The New York Times that former President Joe Biden’s Justice Department quietly launched a probe into Omar in 2024.
According to that report, federal prosecutors in Washington, D.C., working alongside the DOJ’s Public Integrity Section, examined campaign expenditures, personal financial records, and alleged contacts involving a non-U.S. citizen.
Sources familiar with the matter told the Times the investigation ultimately lost momentum after agents reportedly failed to uncover evidence warranting additional charges or expanded prosecution efforts.
The Trump administration now appears to be revisiting at least parts of that inquiry.
Vance’s comments come as Republicans intensify broader investigations into Minnesota’s sprawling Feeding Our Future fraud scandal, one of the largest pandemic-related fraud cases in U.S. history.
GOP lawmakers in Minnesota have repeatedly attempted to draw connections between Omar, the Somali community organizations implicated in the scandal, and federal nutrition programs expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Earlier this month, a Republican-led Minnesota House committee narrowly failed to subpoena Omar for documents related to the Feeding Our Future investigation after Democrats on the panel blocked the effort in a tied vote.
Republican committee chair Kristin Robbins argued that Omar’s sponsorship of the federal MEALS Act in 2020 helped remove safeguards that contributed to widespread abuse within child nutrition programs during the pandemic.
Omar’s office has repeatedly declined invitations to testify before the Minnesota committee.
The controversy surrounding Omar predates the Feeding Our Future investigation. Conservatives have for years questioned details surrounding Omar’s marriage history and immigration timeline, allegations that have circulated heavily online but have never resulted in criminal charges.
Vance himself previously suggested during the 2024 campaign that Omar may have committed immigration fraud.
The DOJ has not publicly confirmed the existence of a current investigation, and neither the Justice Department nor Omar’s congressional office immediately responded to requests for comment following Vance’s remarks.
Still, the vice president’s statements are likely to intensify political pressure on Omar as Republicans continue attacking Democratic lawmakers as corrupt heading into the 2026 midterm cycle.
Vance pushed back on concerns about political targeting during Tuesday’s briefing, emphasizing that the administration intends to follow evidence wherever it leads.
“Everyone is entitled to equal justice under the laws,” he said.
