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The Justice Department has just days to make its case to keep the search warrant tied to the criminal probe into Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) sealed from public access as it continues the investigation.
Chief U.S. District Judge James Boasberg gave federal prosecutors until October 27 to respond to a number of parties seeking access to the search warrant that led to the raid of Omar’s Washington, D.C., home earlier this month. Boasberg noted in a Thursday ruling that prosecutors could “argue in part that the Court should not address the matter yet.”
The Justice Department has argued that releasing the documents now would jeopardize the investigation because investigators have not finished executing the search warrant. The investigation into Omar focuses on suspected immigration fraud and a cloud of allegations surrounding her family’s migration to the United States from Somalia and her past marriages.
A coalition of 14 news organizations, The New York Times, and Judicial Watch have all separately requested access to the search warrant documents. Boasberg, who has repeatedly ruled against the Trump administration in other cases, gave those organizations until October 30 to respond the Justice Department’s arguments to keep the documents sealed while the investigation continues.
Boasberg also granted prosecutors’ request to keep sealed a memo the Justice Department filed “in support of the United States’ motion for an extension of time to respond to the pending request to access sealed search warrant documents.”
“In the event that the Court, after review, believes that a redacted version of the Government’s memorandum should be filed on the public record, it will so order,” Boasberg directed.
Boasberg’s rulings came after prosecutors argued that the court should extend the deadlines to respond to the outside requests for access to preserve the integrity of the investigation.
“Good cause exists to extend these deadlines until after the subject search warrant has been fully executed. The Court should direct the United States to submit, within thirty days of when the warrant’s execution is complete, a status report so alerting the Court and the applicant,” the department argued.
Prosecutors also requested that the judge “establish a single deadline to respond to all three applications, with such deadline to be established after execution of the search warrant is complete.”
Few details about the criminal probe have emerged so far, but reports indicate that investigators obtained DNA evidence. Court filings also revealed that prosecutors referred to Omar as “Ilhan Nur Said Elmi,” which is the same surname as her ex-husband, who some have alleged is her brother.
Cable news host Chris Hayes asked Omar on Wednesday whether she was related to her ex-husband at all and whether there was any “kernel of truth” to the claims.
“Not to my knowledge,” Omar responded.
