Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) was accused of working for a foreign government and passing sensitive information to Iran last month by a Canadian businessman as part of a sworn deposition.
Kuwaiti-born Alan Bender said in a testimony via video link from Toronto, Canada, to a Florida District Court on Oct. 23 that he has close connections with high-ranking officials in the Middle East. He explained that when he met Qatar’s Secretary to the Emir for Security Affairs Mohammad bin Ahmed bin Abdullah al-Masnad and two other senior Qatari officials, the three men gloated about Omar’s political success, saying, “If it wasn’t for our cash, Ilhan Omar would be just another black Somali refugee in America collecting welfare and serving tables on weekends.”
The deposition was obtained by Al Arabiya English and authenticated by the attorney for the plaintiffs.
Bender was subpoenaed in a lawsuit against the Qatari emir’s brother.
In his deposition, he also claimed that he was asked to recruit American politicians and journalists to be Qatari assets, and when he refused, Qatari officials said several American politicians and journalists were already working for them, including Omar, who was allegedly described as the “jewel of the crown.”
According to Bender’s testimony, al-Masnad said Qatar “recruited Ilhan Omar from even way before she thought about becoming a government official. … They groomed her and arranged the foundation, the grounds, for her to get into politics way before she even showed interest. They convinced her.”
Omar cooperated with the Qataris and received cash payments, and apparently used her position in the U.S. House of Representatives to access sensitive information that she relayed to Qatar and through them to Iran, according to Bender’s deposition.
He also alleged that Omar recruited other politicians on behalf of Qatar.
Omar has denied the claims.
“Since the day she was elected, Saudi Arabian trolls and mouthpieces have targeted Omar with misinformation and conspiracy theories,” a spokesperson for Omar told the Jerusalem Post.
