Rep. Ilhan Omar clarifies full name after federal raid, alias allegation

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Rep. Ilhan Omar briefly addressed questions about her name as she also shared more about the federal search of her Washington, D.C. home.

Questions about Omar's name

Omar was scheduled to speak at a press conference at the Hennepin County elections office, but she did not appear at the event. She did cast her ballot there, and Omar said she has not talked to federal investigators after they raided her home in Washington, D.C.

Local perspective:

Sources close to the investigation told Fox News they filed court paperwork using a different name because they believe "Ilhan Omar" is an alias. When FOX 9 asked Omar to clarify her true name, she said, "My name is Ilhan Abdullahi Omar."

FOX 9 also found her junior-year school picture from Edison High School in Minneapolis. The yearbook listed the 17-year-old as "Ilhan Omar."

President Donald Trump's Department of Justice searched Omar's Washington, D.C., home on Oct. 12. Trump suggested the investigation could lead to her deportation, and Omar has denied the allegations.

New details on home search from Omar

In her Oct. 21 interview with MS Now, Omar said she plans to move out of the home because of ongoing death threats and safety concerns now that her address is public. According to The Wall Street Journal, investigators seized her phone and boxes of evidence as part of an effort to strip her citizenship and deport her, while immigration experts told the Journal the government faces a high bar to prove fraud in court.

What they're saying:

Omar said the search started early in the morning on Oct. 12, and her first thought was that "something was on fire." "Well, you don't show up to somebody else's house that early in the morning unless you're trying to freak them out," Omar said. "And it obviously did freak all of us out."

Omar said her husband answered the door and agents showed a search warrant after she asked to see one. She said as many as 25 agents searched for about four to five hours and took 17 items she described as "bizarre," including several phones, notebooks belonging to her husband, a camera and a Somali-language children's book.

What we don't know:

Omar said she still does not understand why the search lasted that long when the warrant largely focused on electronic devices. "I don't think anybody still has an understanding of what is happening. I mean, it doesn't make any sense that they would raid a house to take my phone …" Omar said. "So to come that early to take my phone just sounded obnoxious. It still sounds obnoxious."

Fox News previously reported that agents seized Omar's passport and that investigators obtained her DNA as part of the federal investigation. During the Oct. 21 interview, Omar denied agents collected DNA during the search of her home.

The Source: Rep. Ilhan Omar's Oct. 21 interview with MS Now, Fox News, The Wall Street Journal and previous FOX 9 reporting. Omar also spoke briefly with local reporters Friday morning.