Meet Ilhan Omar’s husband, Tim Mynett – but why was their relationship so controversial?

Ilhan Omar, one of US politics’ loudest progressive voices, was elected to Minnesota’s House of Representatives in 2016, joined the US House in 2018, and remains one of the few Muslims in Congress. Omar is also part of The Squad, a group of liberal Democrats known for challenging former US president Donald Trump and his policies during his time in office.

But lately it has been her private life – and in particular her husband Tim Mynett – that has been grabbing headlines and impacting her political career. Mynett, who was once Omar’s campaign fundraiser, married the politician in 2020 after they were both embroiled in an affair scandal. Now his company is under scrutiny over claims of fraud and other legal issues.

Mynett is a political consultant and fundraiser for politicians. According to his firm’s website, he has raised more than US$100 million for a number of organisations, and has also worked with Angelina Jolie’s Global Action for Children foundation. On top of that, he’s an alumni of The University of KwaZulu Natal in South Africa, and is said to have deep connections in both Washington DC and Hollywood.

In June, the Minnesota Reformer reported that Mynett and his business partner, Will Hailer, were accused of fraud and breach of contract in relation to their wine and marijuana business ventures. Not only have their enterprises since collapsed, the pair are facing multiple lawsuits.