FACT CHECK: No, House Democrats Did Not Remove Ilhan Omar From Congress

Trevor SchakohlJuly 21, 2022

A post shared on Facebook claims House Democrats expelled Democratic Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar from Congress.

Verdict: False

There is no evidence to suggest Omar has been expelled from Congress.

Fact Check:

Omar was one of 16 members of Congress who were arrested during a pro-abortion protest Tuesday afternoon outside of the Supreme Court, according to Fox News. She is set to face community activist Don Samuels in Minnesota’s upcoming Aug. 9 primary elections, CBS News reported.

The Facebook video, viewed over 749,000 times, features footage of what appears to be six Minnesota state legislators, one of whom is speaking at a podium. The man speaking announces the group is requesting the IRS and the Minnesota Department of Revenue to review Omar’s tax filings, claiming there were “violations of so many laws.”

“Finally! House Democrats Kicks Ilhan Omar From Congress,” the post’s caption states. (RELATED: Viral Meme Claims Ilhan Omar ‘Threatened’ To Send Shawarma To Republican Members Of Congress)

The claim is baseless. Check Your Fact found no credible news reporting to suggest that Omar is being removed from Congress. She is still listed on the House’s website as well as the House Democrat’s website. Her verified Twitter account makes no mention of her being removed from office.

The footage featured in the Facebook post is from an August 2019 live-streamed press conference in which Republican Minnesota State Rep. Steve Drazkowski called for an investigation into Omar’s “illegal tax filing status and possible improper tax deductions.”

Alabama Republicans sought to expel Omar in 2019 over comments she made about Israel that some alleged were anti-Semitic, according to USA Today. Republican lawmakers also sought to remove her from her committee assignments in February 2021 in response to Democratic efforts to remove Republican Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene from her assignments, Reuters reported.