EXCLUSIVE: A group of Minnesota Republican state lawmakers asked the IRS in August 2019 to «conduct a detailed reexamination» of tax filings by Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., based on a report from a state board suggesting she filed joint tax returns in 2014 and 2015 with a man she was not legally married to, according to a letter obtained by Digital.

The letter was sent after the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board issued a report on June 6, 2019, indicating that Omar had filed joint tax returns in 2014 and 2015 with Ahmed Hirsi, despite being legally married to another man, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, at the time.

The joint tax returns came up during the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board’s examination of a $1,500 expense associated with Omar’s campaign committee. The board was investigating whether the expenditure was a legitimate campaign-related expense or whether campaign funds had been used to pay for services that benefited Omar personally. The payment was part of a larger $2,250 reimbursement to the Kjellberg Law Office for legal and other services.

ILHAN OMAR ISSUES STUNNING ADMISSION WHEN CONFRONTED WITH BROTHER MARRIAGE RUMORS

In response to the board’s questions, Omar’s campaign committee explained that the Kjellberg Law Office had retained the accounting firm Frederick & Rosen to obtain and review financial records as part of the campaign committee’s efforts to respond to allegations surrounding Omar’s marital history. According to the committee’s explanation, Frederick & Rosen prepared releases for Omar and Ahmed Hirsi to sign, so the firm could obtain copies of their filed joint federal income tax returns for 2014 and 2015 from the IRS.

The board concluded that the committee had not demonstrated that the $1,500 expense benefited the campaign and required Omar to reimburse the committee. 

JD VANCE SAYS DOJ LOOKING INTO IF ILHAN OMAR COMMITTED IMMIGRATION FRAUD AMID BROTHER-MARRIAGE ALLEGATIONS

Omar married Hirsi in 2002 in their Muslim faith tradition and that they ended their relationship in that tradition in 2008, Newsweek reported. She then legally married Ahmed Nur Said Elmi in February 2009, according to public records, as reported by Newsweek.

According to divorce documents obtained by Digital, Omar legally divorced Elmi in December 2017.

Carla Kjellberg, a lawyer for Omar and her campaign committee, stated during the board proceedings that Frederick & Rosen’s services provided «some personal benefit to Rep. Omar,» because «there was an issue with her tax returns that needed to be corrected regardless of her status as a candidate,» according to the board’s report.

In a letter to then-IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig dated Aug. 6, 2019, the state lawmakers asked the IRS to undertake a review in light of the Minnesota Campaign Finance Board report.

«Due to recent developments, I believe probable cause exists for an investigation into Rep. Omar’s tax filings,» read the letter, signed by Minnesota state Reps. Steve Drazkowski, Linda Runbeck, Glenn Gruenhagen, Shane Mekeland, John Poston, Eric Lucero, Duane Quam, Tim Miller, Cal Bahr and Jeremy Munson.

Drazkowski told Digital that the IRS never responded to the request.

The IRS did not respond to Digital’s request for comment. Digital could not confirm whether the IRS followed through with the lawmakers’ request.

Federal tax confidentiality rules generally restrict what the agency can disclose about individual taxpayers. The Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board issued its findings on June 6, 2019, following two complaints filed by Drazkowski. Although the board required Omar to repay the $1,500 that her campaign had paid the Kjellberg Law Firm for Frederick & Rosen’s services related to the tax returns, it rejected the allegation that this money was payment for Omar’s personal divorce proceeding, in which Kjellberg also represented her. 

The board also required Omar to repay campaign funds used for certain travel expenses, including trips to Boston, New York and Washington, D.C.

Following the board’s 2019 findings, Omar said she was «glad» the process was complete and welcomed the board’s determination regarding allegations that she had improperly used campaign funds for personal expenses. However, she did not address the portion of the board’s report concerning the joint tax returns she submitted with Hirsi.

Omar did not respond to request for comment.

In a separate letter obtained by Digital, the Republican state lawmakers, led by Drazkowski, asked Cynthia Bauerly, then-commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Revenue, in August 2019 to review Omar’s joint tax filings.

Drazkowski said neither Bauerly nor the Minnesota Department of Revenue responded to the lawmakers’ request.

The Minnesota Department of Revenue did not respond to Digital’s request for comment.

The letter from the lawmakers urging the state and federal tax reporting agencies to investigate Omar’s joint tax filings came two months after Drazkowski urged Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., to refer his concerns about Omar’s tax filings to the House Ethics Committee.

As previously reported by Digital, Craig told Drazkowski in a letter that he could submit information himself to the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE), which was renamed to the Office of Congressional Conduct in 2021.

The congressional ethics process allows members of the public and lawmakers to submit information concerning alleged misconduct, although the independent ethics office and the House Committee on Ethics have separate procedures.

In late October, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said on that the federal investigation into Omar regarding potential immigration and marriage fraud had been referred to the Department of Justice (DOJ) as a «large case» that targets multiple individuals rather than just one person.

The DHS did not respond to Digital’s request for comment on whether the investigation is looking into the 2014 and 2015 joint tax filings flagged by the state lawmakers in 2019.

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At least a dozen California district attorneys are publicly condemning Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan to commute all 548 death sentences in the state, arguing the sweeping move overrides juries, disregards victims’ families and defies the will of state voters.

Newsom announced the plan Thursday, saying state-sanctioned killing is incompatible with California’s values. The move would convert the sentences to life without parole, though 382 cases still require approval from at least four California Supreme Court justices, according to the Associated Press.

In response, prosecuting attorneys across California have raised concerns about victims’ rights, the governor’s constitutional authority and the role of the California Supreme Court in reviewing hundreds of the commutations.

«Justice requires case-by-case consideration, not one-size-fits-all decisions,» Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho said in response to Newsom’s action.

THREE STATES CARRY OUT EXECUTIONS ON SAME DAY AMID RENEWED DEATH PENALTY DEBATE

Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer described the move as «mercy for the wolves» that inflicts «the ultimate act of cruelty on the sheep.»

Spitzer noted that regulations implemented by California’s Board of Parole Hearings on Oct. 1 allow thousands of prisoners serving life without parole to become eligible for parole, arguing that Newsom’s latest death row commutations could put these inmates «one step closer» to release. Newsom’s office says, however, that the affected prisoners will remain in prison and are not eligible for release.

«The Governor is attempting to appear courageous with this decision. He is not courageous. His commutations are solely based upon power and political aspirations,» added San Bernardino County District Attorney Jason Anderson, who accused Newsom of caring more about politics than people. «Courage would require speaking with crime victims and the surviving family members of the people murdered by these death row inmates.»

CALIFORNIA SUED OVER POLICY THAT COULD FREE SERIAL KILLERS AS LACI PETERSON’S FRIEND SOUNDS ALARM

Anderson cited the case of Kevin Cooper, a California death-row inmate convicted of killing Josh Ryen’s parents and sister, along with Ryen’s friend, Chris Hughes, and leaving Ryen for dead.

Anderson said Newsom had not contacted Ryen or Hughes’ mother, Mary Ann Hughes, to ask their views on a possible commutation — and that Ryen has never received a call from the governor.

«Courage would require the Governor to follow Marsy’s Law, California’s constitutional rights belonging to victims of crime,» Anderson continued. «He has not. I am not aware of any victims’ family members receiving notice of these commutations from the Governor.»

Meanwhile, Anderson and several other California prosecutors who spoke out against Newsom’s death row commutations also framed the dispute as a challenge to the jury system and an override of the will of California voters. They said jurors in each case heard the evidence, weighed all the necessary factors and decided whether death was warranted, with judges and appellate courts later reviewing those verdicts. Newsom’s blanket action, they argue, substitutes one statewide decision for hundreds of individualized judgments.

NEW YORK BILLS COULD ABOLISH LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE FOR SERIAL KILLERS AND COP KILLERS, CRITICS WARN

«A single order commuting all of them would set aside hundreds of individualized judgments without examining the facts of even one,» San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow said.

«It invalidates the exhausting, emotionally wrenching work of our citizens who sat on juries, weighed horrific evidence, and delivered lawful verdicts. Most unforgivably, it is a slap in the face to victims and their families,» said San Joaquin District Attorney Ron Freitas. «This decision does not bind wounds; it tears them wide open, all over again.»

The prosecutors pointed out that California voters rejected death-penalty repeal initiatives in 2012 and 2016 while approving Proposition 66 in 2016, which changed procedures for challenging death sentences and was promoted by supporters as a way to speed up the process. The district attorneys argued Newsom’s blanket action overrides those ballot-box decisions without repealing the law.

«A blanket commutation is a mass erasure of justice. It overrides the will of California voters who have repeatedly defended capital punishment at the ballot box,» Freitas added in his response to Newsom’s action.

Some California prosecutors who spoke out against Newsom’s controversial move signaled that the dispute may not end with public statements. San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan said her office was «researching any lawful remedies» that would allow victims’ voices to be heard and considered, while Kern County District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer was more direct, saying, «This assault on justice will be challenged.»

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Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman acknowledged that commuting existing sentences falls within the governor’s constitutional authority, but said, «That power does not extend to eliminating the death penalty. Only the Legislature or the voters can do that.» Newsom’s clemency announcement clarifies that it «does not repeal the death penalty» and is limited to commuting California’s current death sentences.

Digital reached out to Newsom’s office for comment but did not hear back in time for publication.

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La Vicepresidencia de la República de Guatemala graduó a 175 jóvenes de la segunda cohorte del programa Oportunidades para Jóvenes Líderes, del que el 85% logró acceder a un empleo, una pasantía o una beca. La iniciativa busca que los participantes desarrollen un plan de vida en el país y encuentren alternativas a la migración irregular, según informó la institución durante la ceremonia realizada en el Palacio Nacional de la Cultura, en la Ciudad de Guatemala.

La presidenta en funciones, Karin Herrera, encabezó el acto junto con representantes de la Fundación Carlos F. Novella, Children Emergency Relief International (CERI) y el Instituto Técnico de Capacitación y Productividad (Intecap). También asistieron familiares de los graduados, empleadores vinculados a las pasantías y autoridades gubernamentales.

Un total de 149 de los 175 egresados accedió a alguna modalidad de vinculación: pasantía, contratación directa o articulación con la beca Mi Primer Empleo del Ministerio de Trabajo y Previsión Social. CERI indicó que 85 participantes ya habían comenzado a trabajar al momento de la clausura y que cada semana se sumaban nuevas incorporaciones laborales.

Siete departamentos y ocho sedes para la segunda cohorte

El programa comenzó a rediseñarse en 2024 y se consolidó al año siguiente, cuando funcionaba únicamente en Guatemala y Chimaltenango. En 2026 extendió su alcance a Chimaltenango, Chiquimula, El Progreso, Escuintla, Izabal, Suchitepéquez y Quetzaltenango, una expansión del 250% respecto de la cobertura inicial.

Nery Franco, secretario general de la Vicepresidencia, explicó que el crecimiento territorial se reflejó en una segunda cohorte de 175 graduados, distribuidos en ocho sedes a cargo de Intecap y la organización FARO. La formación técnica se concentró en atención al cliente con especialidad en turismo, cocina variada, ventas y electricidad domiciliaria.

Las especialidades se eligieron tras un diagnóstico de las oportunidades de trabajo disponibles en cada territorio. El programa articuló la convocatoria y selección de los jóvenes, la capacitación técnica, el desarrollo de habilidades personales, el acompañamiento individual y la conexión con empleadores.

La Fundación Carlos F. Novella impartió talleres semanales sobre inteligencia emocional, autoestima, liderazgo, comunicación y resiliencia. También entregó kits escolares, refrigerios durante los tres meses de capacitación y traslados para los participantes de la sede de Escuintla.

CERI destinó cuatro gestoras de casos para seguir la asistencia, coordinar apoyos y atender situaciones de vulnerabilidad identificadas entre los jóvenes. Alberto Enrique Ubilla Sayes, director de la junta directiva de la Fundación Carlos F. Novella, precisó que 173 participantes de siete departamentos atravesaron las etapas de formación técnica, pasantías y acompañamiento.

“El ochenta y cinco por ciento de los participantes logró vincularse a una oportunidad de empleo, pasantía o beca”, afirmó Ubilla Sayes durante la ceremonia. El Ministerio de Trabajo y Previsión Social colaboró con la elaboración de currículums y las postulaciones laborales, mientras que la Secretaría contra las Adicciones y el Tráfico Ilícito de Drogas participó en la prevención de adicciones.

La entidad EDVET intervino con acciones de prevención de violencia sexual, explotación y trata de personas. El alcalde de Esquipulas, Carlos Portillo, integró la mesa principal en representación de una de las municipalidades que brindaron apoyo logístico en su territorio.

Sesenta y cinco pasantías con 32 empleadores

La conexión con el sector privado se impulsó mediante cuatro ruedas de empresarios realizadas en Esquipulas, Quetzaltenango, Chimaltenango y Escuintla. Esos encuentros derivaron en 65 pasantías con 32 empleadores, entre instituciones bancarias, cooperativas, restaurantes y hoteles.

Entre los graduados estuvieron Katy Méndez, formada en atención al cliente y turismo, quien ya trabaja en una empresa del sector; Dulce López, egresada del mismo curso en Esquipulas; y Jimmy Santiago Saracho Chay, quien destacó la oportunidad laboral obtenida tras su paso por la iniciativa.

Irasema Gómez se vinculó con un emprendimiento familiar de café, mientras que Sara Inés Tun Estrada expresó su intención de continuar con estudios universitarios. Caitlin McElroy, presidenta de CERI, relató el caso de una joven de Chimaltenango que completó el curso de cocina, consiguió empleo en un establecimiento de la localidad y desarrolló un negocio propio.

Herrera sostuvo que el programa reemplazó un modelo previo destinado exclusivamente a incorporar jóvenes al aparato estatal. “No todo mundo tiene que trabajar en el Estado, ni todos los jóvenes aspiran a trabajar en el Estado”, afirmó la Presidenta, al señalar que los participantes tienen aspiraciones distintas, entre ellas emprender, obtener becas en el extranjero o ingresar al mercado laboral.

La funcionaria aseguró que la convocatoria fue abierta y transparente, sin condicionamientos para quienes se postularon. “Ustedes participaron por voluntad propia. Nadie les dio la oportunidad solicitándoles algo más”, expresó en el Patio de la Paz del Palacio Nacional de la Cultura.

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