Radical Democrat Rep. Ilhan Omar ((DMN) has been accused of accepting bribes from foreign government officials.
Omar was caught accepting a fully paid-for luxury trip to the World Cup from the government of Qatar.
The congresswoman accepted the free trip, despite the country being notorious for human rights abuses.
Qatar also funds the terrorist group Hamas which seeks to eliminate Israel.
During the trip last November, Omar not only attended the FIFA World Cup but also met with Qatari government officials.
Omar has yet to explain the nature of the meeting, however.
All of her travel, food, and luxury accommodations were paid for by the Islamic nation.
It was such a delight to root for #TeamUSA at the World Cup in Qatar and today we are excited to root for them here at home.
Let’s go #TeamUSA 💪🏽 pic.twitter.com/w4POE4rKp6
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) November 29, 2022
But Omar’s unexplained gift from Qatar isn’t the only free trip behind the allegations of bribes.
Omar also took a trip to Pakistan in 2022 that was funded by its government, according to the Star Tribune.
Financial disclosures show that Omar went to the soccer event on Qatar’s dime, despite the ethical questions it raises.
According to the Tribune, “Qatar has been widely criticized for abusing migrant workers and criminalizing same-sex relationships, among other alleged human rights issues.
“Omar attended the FIFA World Cup and met with Qatari government officials while she was in the Gulf nation last November and had her food and lodging paid for by the country.
“The cost of her trip wasn’t disclosed.”
Rather than address the allegations, Omar’s office tried to sidestep the issue when asked about it.
A spokesman claims that Omar “remains committed to upholding human rights and the rule of law around the world, and also to direct engagement with the regimes responsible for human rights abuses.”
“That includes accountability for the vile labor practices and mistreatment of migrant workers in Qatar,” Omar’s spokesman Jeremy Slevin claimed in a statement.
“To that end, she sent a letter demanding accountability for these abuses ahead of the World Cup and specifically raised her deep concerns in her meetings with Qatari officials.
“She also visited our troops stationed in Qatar and got the opportunity to meet with the folks helping us with Afghan resettlement in Qatar.”
— Geo Political Updates (@GeoPolUpdates) August 17, 2023
The Minnesota Democrat was joined by a group of other politicos at the World Cup, including Democrat President Joe Biden’s Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
“Under the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act, members of Congress and their staff are allowed to travel overseas on a foreign government’s expense as long as they report it on their annual financial disclosures,” the Tribune notes.
“Congresswoman Omar accepted an invitation from the Embassy of Qatar to attend events in Doha in November 2022 as part of a program authorized under the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961,” a spokesman from the Qatari Embassy in Washington, D.C. claimed in a statement
“This longstanding exchange program organized by Qatar was approved by the US State Department in 2008, and permits participants to accept transportation, lodging, and related expenses during their attendance,” the spokesman asserted.
Terrorist money
— Tacoma15 (@KlimasLarry) August 18, 2023
Although not technically illegal, having foreign governments pay for a politician’s trip raises ethical concerns.
This is especially true when it comes to communist regimes, dictatorships, and Islamic strongholds that ignore or oversee human rights abuses.
She constantly fundraises for CAIR, an arm of Hamas. And no one bats an eye
— 2AisAbsolute (@MikeRic37008760) August 18, 2023
Ironically, Omar has previously trashed Israel and India over their human rights records.
In a July post on Twitter/X, Omar declared that there was “no way in hell” she’d attend the Israeli president’s speech to Congress.
WE SHOULD NOT BE INVITING THE PRESIDENT OF ISRAEL—A GOVERNMENT WHO UNDER ITS CURRENT PRIME MINISTER BARRED THE FIRST TWO MUSLIM WOMEN ELECTED TO CONGRESS FROM VISITING THE COUNTRY—TO GIVE A JOINT ADDRESS TO CONGRESS.
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) July 13, 2023
Omar also refused to attend Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s joint congressional speech.
In a statement, Omar claimed her absence was due to opposition over “his government’s human rights record.”
Business Insider interviewed Omar concerning her lavish Qatar trip.
She justified the country paying her way by claiming “There are no perfect countries that have a perfect record.”
“I wonder what kinds of conversations will be had, and how many people will object to that happening with the history of Indigenous people, of enslavement, of police brutality,” Omar told Business Insider.
She was referring to the next World Cup in 2026, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
3/ Omar: “We are slated to host the World Cup next with Mexico and Canada. I wonder what kinds of conversations will be had, and how many people will object to that happening with the history of indigenous people, of enslavement, of police brutality.”
“In the world that we're… pic.twitter.com/nUD55nWZzu
— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) August 16, 2023
READ MORE: Fired Ukraine Prosecutor Blows Whistle: Joe and Hunter Biden Took Bribes
