The reelection campaign for Rep. Lucy McBath (D., Ga.) said Wednesday it rejected a $2,000 contribution sent to it by her fellow Democratic freshman congresswoman Ilhan Omar (Minn.), who has been criticized by colleagues on both sides of the aisle for anti-Semitism.
The Free Beacon first reported the $2,000 contribution given by Omar to McBath, whose campaign oddly left the contribution off its quarterly fundraising report. Pressed on the reason for its absence on Tuesday, the McBath campaign said only, "Our report is accurate," and declined to provide further details.
McBath's campaign admitted on Wednesday, however, that the lack of disclosure was due to a decision to reject the money from Omar, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Up in D.C., the conservative Free Beacon has pointed to a $2,000 campaign contribution that U.S. Rep. Illhan Omar, D-Minn., reported making to fellow freshman Democrat Lucy McBath of Marietta.
The website noted that McBath did not report the contribution—which is true. The McBath campaign told us this morning that the contribution was not accepted.
Omar is one of two Muslim lawmakers elected to Congress in 2018. She has recently been criticized by Republicans, including President Donald Trump, who allege she recently spoke too lightly of 9/11 during a speech last month. She has also made remarks interpreted by many as anti-Semitic.
McBath’s rejection of the donation is more important than it may sound. The Sixth District has a significant Jewish population – particularly in Sandy Springs and east Cobb County.
Omar, who raised over $800,000 in her first quarter fundraising as a member of Congress, also gave money to three other colleagues. Two of them, Reps. Lauren Underwood (D., Ill.) and Haley Stevens (D., Mich.), accepted the money and reported the contributions.
The third, Rep. Jahana Hayes (D., Conn.), did not disclose the contribution, but her campaign told the Free Beacon there was "absolutely not" an effort to hide it and it will be disclosed on next quarter's report. A spokeswoman for Hayes said on Wednesday the campaign never considered rejecting Omar's contribution.
Omar's campaign did not respond to a request for comment on McBath's rejection of her contribution. The McBath campaign also has not responded to further inquiries.
McBath also received $2,000 from Omar's campaign last October. That contribution has not been returned.