Controversial freshman Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) has been secretly fundraising for Islamic activist groups with ties to the support of terrorism, the Washington Free Beacon revealed Friday.

What are the details?

Omar recently spoke at an event in Florida for Islamic Relief USA, which the Free Beacon reported has "long said to have deep ties to groups that advocate terrorism against Israel."

In 2017, Congress sought to cut taxpayer funds from going to Islamic Relief over concerns it was providing assistance to Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood.

Meanwhile, Omar will speak at an event in California this weekend for CAIR-CA PAC, an organization associated with the Council on American Islamic Relations.

CAIR was listed as an unindicted co-conspirator in the Holy Land Foundation Case in which HLF and five of its leaders were convicted of providing material support to Hamas, a known terrorist organization. The United Arab Emirates has even designated CAIR as a terrorist organization.

Why is this significant?

What is most concerning about Omar's speeches is that they are shrouded in secrecy, the Free Beacon reported. Not only is video of her speech last month not available, but local media told the Free Beacon Islamic Relief USA organizers barred press from its event.

The mystery of Omar's speeches is significant because the Minnesota Democrat has become a lightning rod for controversy over her repeated use of anti-Semitic tropes.

More from the Free Beacon:

The content of these speeches, given to predominately Muslim audiences, remains unknown, prompting some of Omar's critics to express concern about the type of rhetoric she is using before these paying audiences, particularly in light of the lawmaker's repeated use of anti-Semitic tropes in public.



Omar's appearance at these closed-door forums is raising eyebrows in the pro-Israel world due to her repeated and unapologetic public use of anti-Semitic stereotypes accusing Jewish people of controlling foreign policy and politics. With Omar's popularity skyrocketing on the anti-Israel left, it appears her rhetoric is translating into fundraising prowess.



Sarah Stern, founder and president of pro-Israel think tank Endowment for Middle East Truth, told the Free Beacon the mystery of Omar's speeches should raise eyebrows.

"I just wonder what is Rep. Omar saying to a group of Islamic supporters that she feels is so secretive that she cannot say it to the American people, as a whole?" Stern told the Free Beacon. "What is so secretive that it has to be off the record and closed to reporters? Will she say the same things in public to her Jewish voters in Minnesota that she says to her Islamic friends? What does this tell us about her openness, her honesty and her integrity?"