Photo: Kristie Boyd/U.S. House, public domain
The Justice Department has asked a federal judge to keep records from the search of Rep. Ilhan Omar’s Washington home sealed for now, saying the warrant is still being carried out and prosecutors have not reached a charging decision.
The request appears in a redacted court memorandum filed October 27 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. It responds to applications seeking access to the warrant records.
The filing confirms an active criminal investigation, but it is a request by prosecutors, not a judicial finding that Omar committed an offense. It does not announce criminal charges or an order revoking her citizenship.
What prosecutors are asking the court to do
The government says Homeland Security Investigations agents arrived at the residence with a signed warrant around 6:05 a.m. on October 12. In the memorandum, prosecutors describe the warrant as only partially executed and say they expect its execution to be completed “in short order.”
They argue that releasing the records during the investigation could compromise investigative work and expose private information. The Justice Department asks the court to deny the access applications without prejudice, which would leave open the possibility of renewed requests later.
The government also says it does not necessarily oppose later disclosure of some records with redactions. It asks to provide a status report within 30 days after the warrant’s execution is complete.
If the court decides records should be released sooner, prosecutors request time to seek a stay pending an appeal. That is an alternative request in the filing, not an announcement that an appeal has already been filed or that the court has granted it.
Omar’s office says she has done nothing wrong
In an October 12 statement, Omar’s office called the search an abuse of power and an attempt to target political enemies. “The Congresswoman has done nothing wrong,” the statement said.
A separate October 26 congressional statement said 175 members were denouncing the search and its timing before the election. Their accusations of political motivation are the lawmakers’ position, not a court finding.
The public record has limits
The 47-page public memorandum contains substantial redactions. It does not provide a complete public account of the evidence underlying the warrant, and prosecutors say a charging decision has not yet been reached and publicly announced.
The current filing concerns access to search-warrant records. It does not resolve the investigation, establish guilt or determine what charges, if any, will follow.
JBizNews Desk | Washington
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