Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota is facing new scrutiny over her personal finances after a watchdog group accused her of defaulting on federal student loans while advocating for debt forgiveness in Congress.
The American Accountability Foundation (AAF) sent a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson on Friday alleging that Omar, who earns $174,000 a year, is in collection proceedings over federally guaranteed student loans.
“We are writing today to share serious concerns about abuse of office and abuse of government loans by a member of the House of Representatives, Representative Ilhan Omar,” AAF President Thomas Jones wrote.
According to the group, Omar’s financial disclosure forms show she owes between $15,001 and $50,000 in outstanding student loan debt — loans backed by the federal government.
“As you know, these loans are guaranteed by the United States Government and Representative Omar’s default would shift the cost of her student loans onto the U.S. taxpayer,” Jones said. “The fact that someone making $174,000 as a Member of Congress cannot pay their student loans is unconscionable and embarrassing.”
The group went further, accusing Omar of using her position to pressure federal agencies not to enforce collection on her loans.
“Adding insult to injury, there are credible claims that she is using her influence as a Member of Congress to bully the Department of Education into not collecting the past-due payments,” Jones wrote.
Jones said his organization filed a Freedom of Information Act request seeking all correspondence between Rep. Omar’s office and the Department of Education regarding her loan status. According to Jones, the goal is to determine whether any improper pressure was exerted on federal officials and whether standard collection procedures were delayed or altered.
“We believe the public has a right to know if any member of Congress has attempted to secure preferential treatment,” he added, noting that his group intends to release any documents obtained through the request.
The organization also called on the House Ethics Committee to review the matter, arguing that even the appearance of undue influence undermines public trust. “No elected official should be allowed to operate under a different set of rules than the Americans they represent,” Jones wrote, urging lawmakers to address the issue swiftly and transparently.