FBI Investigates Congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s Husband’s Sh3.8 Billion Businesses in Kenya, Somalia and Dubai

Washington DC | Friday February 14 2026

A congressional investigation into US Representative Ilhan Omar’s husband has taken a dramatic international turn, with American lawmakers demanding documents related to mysterious business dealings spanning Kenya, Somalia and the United Arab Emirates.

House Oversight Chairman James Comer has written to Tim Mynett, the Somalia-born congresswoman’s husband, demanding he surrender all records of travel and business communications linked to the three countries by February 19.

The probe has intensified following revelations that Omar’s family wealth exploded from a modest Sh6.6 million to a staggering Sh3.9 billion in just one year, according to federal financial disclosure documents filed in 2024.

At the centre of the controversy is Rose Lake Capital, an investment firm co-owned by Mynett that claims to specialise in global opportunities. The firm had explored ambitious plans to build solar panel installations across Africa, with particular interest in Somalia and Kenya, according to documents obtained by investigators.

Business records show that Mynett’s partner, William Hailer, received a Sh1.4 million airline ticket to Dubai for discussions about a potential deal in the Emirates. The nature of that deal remains unclear, as Rose Lake Capital has recently scrubbed its website of key information, including the names of its officers and advisors.

The international scope of the investigation marks a significant escalation in what began as scrutiny of Mynett’s domestic business ventures. Comer’s February 5 letter specifically requests documentation of all travel to Kenya, Somalia and the United Arab Emirates, including dates, travellers and stated purposes.

“She needs to explain to the American people how her net worth went from zero to Sh1.3 billion in one year, and explain why the Biden Department of Justice was investigating her husband’s financial activities over the course of that year, where her net worth ballooned up,” Comer said in a television interview Wednesday night.

The probe extends beyond Rose Lake Capital to include eStCru, a California winery that Mynett co-owns with Hailer. That business has become the subject of intense scrutiny after its reported valuation skyrocketed from Sh2 million to Sh650 million in 12 months, despite having no visible operations, no active telephone lines and virtually no online presence.

Multiple investors have already sued Mynett and Hailer over the winery venture. In one case, a Washington DC restaurant owner named Naeem Mohd claims he invested Sh39 million after being promised a 200 per cent return within 18 months. The lawsuit alleges the pair fraudulently misrepresented the winery as a legitimate business.

Another lawsuit involving a cannabis investment saw Hailer settle for Sh156 million in August 2024 after investors claimed he promised to raise Sh975 million but instead allegedly misappropriated their Sh460 million investment.

House Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) demanded Rep. Ilhan Omar’s husband Tim Mynett (r) hand over any information about his company Rose Lake Capital LLC’s business in Nigeria, Somalia, and the United Arab Emirates.

The connection to East Africa is particularly sensitive given Omar’s Somali heritage and her district’s large Somali-American population in Minnesota. That same district has been rocked by what authorities describe as a multi-billion shilling social services fraud scandal involving members of the Somali community.

Former political operatives who worked with Mynett and Hailer describe them as well-connected Democratic Party insiders who previously ran E Street Group, a political consulting firm that received nearly Sh390 million from Omar’s congressional campaigns alone.

The FBI and Department of Justice opened their own investigation into Omar’s finances in 2024, examining her campaign spending and interactions with foreign citizens, though that probe appears to have stalled without charges being filed.

Omar’s spokesperson, Jackie Rogers, has dismissed the congressional investigation as a “political stunt” and “smear campaign,” insisting the reported valuations reflect full company assessments rather than Mynett’s individual stake.

Comer has now referred the matter to the House Ethics Committee, whose members say they are better positioned to investigate sitting members of Congress. Republican lawmakers have vowed to pursue subpoenas if Mynett fails to comply with document requests.

The deadline for Mynett’s response passed on Wednesday with no public indication he has turned over the requested materials. His attorneys have not responded to requests for comment.

President Donald Trump has publicly called for Omar to face criminal charges, claiming without evidence that she is connected to what he alleges is Sh2.5 trillion in Minnesota welfare fraud, though he has provided no proof to support the astronomical figure.

As investigators piece together the puzzle of how a struggling political consultant amassed a fortune seemingly overnight, the trail now leads from California vineyards to solar ventures in the Horn of Africa, and onwards to the gleaming towers of Dubai.

Whether that trail reveals legitimate business success or something more sinister remains to be seen, but lawmakers have made clear they intend to follow the money wherever it leads.