Ilhan Omar May Have Broken The Law With Her TikTok Account, Watchdog Says

A complaint filed by a watchdog group alleges that Rep. Ilhan Omar (D., Minn.) may have violated House ethics rules by using her TikTok account for both official activities and campaign purposes. According to the complaint, Omar has amassed nearly 250,000 followers on the Chinese spyware app, despite the House deeming it too risky for staffers to use on government-issued devices. Thus, her use of TikTok on such devices is a violation of her obligations as a member of Congress, the complaint argues. The Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust, which filed the complaint, wants the Office of Congressional Ethics to ensure that Omar removes TikTok from her government devices.

Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust executive director Kendra Arnold said, “These violations are disturbing, and clearly not how members are supposed to be using official resources. The law is abundantly clear, and her account and the content posted speak for themselves. These rules are to protect the time, resources, and integrity of official proceedings for those in elected office.”

While most members of Congress support calls for banning the Chinese-controlled app, Omar and other members of the “Squad” remain defenders of the platform. On the possibility of a unilateral ban, Omar stated that it may violate the First Amendment. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who serves as an adviser to the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, which accepted a $150,000 contribution from TikTok in December, has also posted a TikTok video opposing the ban.

The watchdog group notes that Omar’s profile description on the app identifies her as a congresswoman from Minnesota’s fifth district, which makes her TikTok account by definition an official one. Posting political content on such an account is a misuse of government resources, the complaint contends. The Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust cites two videos featuring Omar in the House chamber, that they say were recorded for political purposes, as evidence of her violation of official rules.

“The law is clear, and the posts above speak for themselves—there are no facts that can excuse these violations,” the complaint reads. “In addition to violating the specific laws, her use of official resources does not reflect credibly on the House. Finally, given her use of a TikTok account and government resources, the Office of Congressional Ethics should ensure Omar does not have the banned app installed on any government devices.”