A Democratic political operative has broken with a prominent member of his own party, delivering criticism over longstanding marriage allegations.
Former lawmaker Joe Radinovich said allegations involving Rep. Ilhan Omar’s marriage to Ahmed Nur Said Elmi are “almost certainly true.”
His comments expose divisions in Minneapolis Democratic politics and challenge the argument that the controversy comes from Republicans and conservative critics.
Radinovich, a former campaign manager and chief of staff for Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, posted his assessment on social media.
He responded to a New York Times report describing scrutiny of Omar’s marriage dating to the Obama administration in 2016.
The newspaper reported that FBI and Department of Homeland Security investigators found some evidence suggesting the marriage was fraudulent.
That account cited current and former officials and placed the investigation years before the Trump administration’s examination of the controversy.
Radinovich seized on the reporting to argue that Democrats should reconsider how they discuss both the allegation and Omar’s denials.
He alleged that Omar entered a sham marriage with a man critics call her brother, a claim she has denied.
Omar has characterized the accusations as a right-wing conspiracy intended to smear her and has rejected allegations of wrongdoing.
Radinovich’s criticism went beyond expressing uncertainty about her explanation, directly challenging the political framing used to dismiss the allegations.
He argued that Democrats could reach different conclusions about subsequent steps while still recognizing what he considered a credible allegation.
His post specifically disputed portraying the controversy as a right-wing, Islamophobic, or racist conspiracy, taking aim at Omar’s longstanding defense.
The remarks carry a different political significance because Radinovich previously served as a Democrat in Minnesota’s House of Representatives.
His work for Frey also places him within Minneapolis’s Democratic political establishment, where disagreements with Omar have spilled into campaigns.
Frey and Omar have endorsed each other’s opponents during reelection contests, making their competing political alliances part of the backdrop.
Radinovich also managed Don Samuels’s unsuccessful Democratic primary challenges against Omar in 2022 and 2024, contests that she ultimately won.
Radinovich’s comments underscore those divisions, turning a national controversy into another public confrontation between rival factions within Minnesota Democratic politics.
The report supplied the immediate trigger, but the allegations themselves have circulated for more than a decade, the account states.
Its description of the earlier investigation also complicates attempts to portray federal interest as originating entirely with President Donald Trump.
The reported 2016 inquiry took place during the year of Barack Obama’s presidency, before Trump first entered the White House.
Radinovich did not limit his criticism to the marriage controversy, also raising questions about Omar’s financial disclosures and her explanations.
He urged Democrats to exercise caution when discussing the financial allegations, saying unanswered questions made categorical defenses of Omar difficult.
His assessment linked the two controversies through what he described as similar responses, rather than presenting them as one allegation.
The operative argued that meaningful financial questions had not received public answers and offered a negative assessment of the evidence.
Those comments widened the dispute beyond a single newspaper report, challenging how Omar’s supporters respond to scrutiny across multiple subjects.
Omar’s campaign operation quickly pushed back through operations director Briana Rose Lee, who directly addressed Radinovich in a public response.
“Joe. You aren’t stupid. You know this is a baseless and manufactured witch hunt. I’m actually surprised to see this from you. It’s a new low,” Lee said.
Lee’s response rejected the premise of Radinovich’s criticism and accused him of embracing a manufactured campaign against the congresswoman.
Her comments also revealed surprise that the attack came from someone with his Democratic background and connections to party leadership, Mediaite reported.
The exchange leaves two Minnesota Democratic camps publicly arguing over allegations that Republicans have long raised about Omar’s marriage history.
This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.
