Rep. Ilhan Omar (D., Minn.) says the government needs to cancel student debt, including her own. But there's a chance the "Squad" member's husband could clear her loans with the income from his vineyard.
Omar urged President Joe Biden to cancel all student debt during a speech in Washington this week. Omar, who lamented she still has student debt at the age of 40, said Biden could remove the burden for all borrowers "with the stroke of a pen." But public records indicate Omar is well-positioned to pay off her student loans, valued at between $15,001 and $50,000 on financial disclosures, without a government handout.
Omar makes $174,000 per year as a member of Congress. Her husband, Tim Mynett, owns a stake in a California winery, eStCru. Mynett received between $15,001 and $50,000 from the winery business, according to Omar’s disclosures. The winery, which says it makes several "boundary-breaking" wines, operates vineyards in Sonoma County, Calif., and Oregon. Its site boasts its wide range of "relatable, approachable" wines made from "responsibly sourced" fruit. Offerings include the 2020 "Blockchain" Cabernet Sauvignon, which retails for $38, and a $20 bottle dubbed "This Rose is So Fetch." Perhaps in a nod to Omar's politics, eStCru plans to roll out a red blend named "No Middle Ground."
The Washington Free Beacon reported Mynett's firm was advising wine companies, though it was unclear he had an ownership interest in a winery.
Mynett also runs a political consulting firm, E Street Group, that works for the Democratic National Committee and various political campaigns. Omar's campaign funneled $2.9 million to the firm during the 2020 election cycle. Mynett earned between $100,001 and $1 million in partnership income from the firm, according to Omar's disclosure.
Omar's communications director lashed out at conservatives who accused Omar of asking for a bailout, saying Omar is a refugee "who came to this country with almost nothing and worked multiple jobs to get through college and feed her family before being elected to Congress."
"Get the fuck outta here," said Omar communications aide Jeremy Slevin.
Omar married Mynett in March 2020 after leaving her then-husband, Ahmed Abdisalan Hirsi. The lawmaker claimed she was separated from Hirsi when she began a relationship with Mynett, but Mynett’s ex-wife accused them of beginning an extramarital affair in 2019.
Omar has also faced allegations her first husband, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, is also her brother. She has consistently refused to answer questions about Elmi.