NEWS FROM REP. STEVE DRAZKOWSKI - - DISTRICT 21-B
For Immediate Release
Thursday, June 6, 2019
Contact: Andy Gildea
Phone: (651) 296-3316
MINNESOTA CAMPAIGN FINANCE BOARD UPHOLDS DRAZKOWSKI COMPLAINT,
FINDS U.S. REP. ILHAN OMAR BROKE THE LAW
ST. PAUL - - After a year’s investigation, the Minnesota Campaign Finance Board (“CFB”) today upheld a
complaint filed by Rep. Steve Drazkowski (Republican-Mazeppa) alleging that U.S. Representative Ilhan
Omar (Democrat-Minneapolis) had violated campaign finance laws.
“The CFB today held that Rep. Omar’s campaign committee ‘violated the reporting requirements’ under
Minnesota state laws,” Rep, Drazkowski said. “The Board also fined Rep. Omar with a civil penalty and
ordered her to reimburse her campaign committee for improper use of campaign funds for personal
uses.”
In its order issued today, the Board found on page 7 that because the Omar Committee’s 2016 pre-general
report did not include the debts to two law firms covering Rep. Omar’s personal obligations,
“the Omar committee, therefore, violated the reporting requirements” under state law.
On page 13, the Board also ordered Rep. Omar to “personally reimburse the Omar Committee $3,469.23
[for] the total amount of campaign funds that were used for purposes not permitted by statute.”
Further disclosures by the Omar campaign regarding amounts used for immigration services and joint
tax returns must be made within the next ten days. According to page 12 of the CFB order.
“I would like to thank the Board for its extended review of this complaints,” said Rep. Drazkowski. “The
board put an amazing amount of investigative work into these complaints and the result provides no
reassurance to Minnesotans. In fact, the report raises even more troubling questions. I look forward to
the further disclosures by Rep. Omar and her campaign.”
END