Omar violates Minnesota's campaign finance rules, says council

representative Ilhan OmarIlhan OmarHillicon Valley: YouTube must ban extremist videos | Society in a storm on a conservative commentator | Big Tech Braces for antitrust confrontation | Study finds Russian trolls more effective than expected | Democrats want answers on Hillicon Valley medical data breach: YouTube must ban extremist videos | Society in a storm on a conservative commentator | Big Tech Braces for antitrust confrontation | Study finds Russian trolls more effective than expected | Democrats want answers on the violation of medical data New Democrats ask McConnell to hold a vote on the electoral reform bill MORE (D-Min.) Violated the funding rules of the state campaign when she used the funds from her congressional campaign for her personal traveling expenses. Funding officials for the Minnesota campaign ruled Thursday.

The Finance and Public Disclosure Committee for the campaign in Minnesota decided on Thursday that Omar's use of campaign funds for personal travel abroad and to pay his tax returns violated the funding rules of the campaign. state campaign, according to the Associated Press.

The council decided that Omar was to repay nearly $ 3,500 to his former campaign committee and pay a $ 500 fine to the state for using campaign funds to travel to Florida.

It was discovered that Omar had used the campaign money during his term as a congressman to travel to Boston to speak at a political rally, to go to Chicago to accept an award, to attend at a fundraising event and paying for a hotel in Washington, DC, where she participated in an interview at a conference, according to Minnesota Public Radio.

Under state law, legislators' travel must be reasonably related to the performance of their duties, the PA noted.

Republican state representative Steve Drazkowski first raised concerns about Omar's trip, suggesting that she would have used $ 2,250 in campaign funds to pay a lawyer during his divorce proceedings.

According to the commission, the fees were a reimbursement to two law firms for work relating to documents relating to immigration and taxation. The panel concluded that there was evidence that the $ 2,250 USD was not related to Omar's divorce and ordered Omar to file an amended report containing additional information on the payments made to law firms. # 39; lawyers.

The board also ruled that the $ 1,500 spent to change a problem in Omar's tax returns was not an expense related to the campaign and therefore had to be returned.

Hill asked Omar's office to comment.