A conservative watchdog group has accused Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., of being delinquent on up to $50,000 in federal student loans and has asked House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to garnish her congressional wages.
Thomas Jones, founder and president of the American Accountability Foundation, also accused the progressive lawmaker in a Wednesday letter to Johnson of using her position in Congress to “bully” the Department of Education into not collecting past-due payments from her.
Omar has consistently backed policies to forgive student loan debt, including former President Joe Biden’s executive action that was ultimately overturned by the Supreme Court.
Her campaign website advocates erasing all student debt and guarantees “tuition-free and debt-free two- and four-year public colleges and universities.”
According to her May financial disclosure, Omar owes between $15,001 and $50,000 to Nelnet Loan Services Inc.
The filing does not specify delinquency, but Jones asserts that she is in collection proceedings over federally guaranteed loans.
“It has come to AAF’s attention that Representative Omar is in collection proceedings on her federally guaranteed student loans,” he wrote. “As her financial disclosure notes, she currently has between $15,001 and $50,000 in outstanding loans.
“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 to the U.S. taxpayer.
“The fact that someone making $174,000 as a Member of Congress cannot pay their student loans is unconscionable and embarrassing.”
Jones alluded to “credible claims” that Omar “is using her influence as a Member of Congress to bully the Department of Education into not collecting the past-due payments.”
He said the group has filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the Department of Education to obtain records related to Omar “to fully understand the scale of her abuse of office.”
To protect taxpayers, Jones urged Johnson to direct the House’s chief administrative officer to garnish Omar’s pay. He said her wages should be impounded “until such time as her payments are current.”
Jones told The Daily Wire on Thursday that the group’s FOIA request might take time because of the government shutdown. He said Johnson should take action to ensure that Omar’s payments are made.
“What we’re asking is the speaker to garnish [Omar’s] wages and impound them and to work with the Department of Education to find out how much she owes the federal government and pay that until her loans are current,” Jones said.
Newsmax has reached out to Omar, Johnson, and the Department of Education for comment.
The American Accountability Foundation has also been asked for documentation supporting its claims.
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