Editor’s note: Though this story has been picked up by several foreign and domestic outlets, its sourcing is questionable. Al Arabiya, who first reported it, is a Saudi-backed news outlet intent on countering Qatari-backed news outlet Al Jazeera. Moreover, the source of the testimony referenced in the story, Kuwaiti-born Canadian citizen Alan Bender, has made other explosive accusations in the past that have not been corroborated (though nothing has been disproven, either). I am choosing to run this story because if it’s true, it’s extremely important information. But be aware of the potential for this to be “fake news” as part of a counter-propaganda effort against Qatar by the Saudis. We are the enemy of fake news, of which there is plenty out there already. We will rapidly retract this story if it turns out to be false.

Original story:

Explosive allegations have surfaced regarding Representative Ilhan Omar and the Middle Eastern nation of Qatar. According to testimony in a Florida federal court last month, Alan Bender claims to have heard through conversations with Qatari officials that they have bribed and corrupted multiple influencers and even politicians in the United States. According to his testimony, one official told Bender that Omar is “the crown jewel” in Qatar’s efforts to embed its assets in American government.

Bender testified through video link from Toronto that he met with Qatar’s Secretary to the Emir for Security Affairs Mohammad bin Ahmed bin Abdullah al-Masnad and two other senior Qatari officials. His testimony was part of a trial for Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad al-Thani.

“If it wasn’t for our cash, Ilhan Omar would be just another black Somali refugee in America collecting welfare and serving tables on weekends,” the three Qatari officials claimed, according to Bender’s sworn deposition obtained by Al Arabiya English and authenticated by the attorney for the plaintiffs.

Ilhan Omar ‘Qatari asset,’ Florida court hears Bender testified that the officials asked him to recruit American politicians and journalists as Qatari assets, and that when he objected, was told that several prominent figures were already on the payroll. US Congresswoman Omar was described as the “jewel in the crown,” he said. Qatar “recruited Ilhan Omar from even way before she thought about becoming a government official. […] They groomed her and arranged the foundation, the grounds, for her to get into politics way before she even showed interest. They convinced her,” he added. The deposition shows he further told the court that, during a 2017 meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Omar swore allegiance to him. At the time she was a junior state representative in Minnesota.

Omar has denied the accusations in a statement.

“The latest outlandishly absurd story from a Saudi-funded media outlet is of course false and only the latest in that trend,” the statement said. “The only people Rep. Omar represents in Washington are the people of Minnesota’s 5th District. She will continue to speak out against human rights violations around the world—whether it is war crimes in Yemen or the caging of children at our border—regardless of who commits them.”

Bender’s testimony also claims Omar passed on classified information to Iran through her Qatari handlers.

These claims by Bender are not the first time he’s accused Qatar of trying to influence American policies. In an article that appeared in The Daily Wire, Bender was quoted accusing a former U.S. Ambassador to Qatar of accepting bribes from them.

LITWIN: Former Diplomat And Top Kamala Harris Campaign Advisor Acts As Mouthpiece For Terror-Supporting Qatar Canadian businessman Alan Bender went further. Bender, who had spoken with high-level Qatari officials, said that Smith was being paid by Qatar through her consulting firm Decibel Strategy LLC — which Bender described as “her fake company in the U.S.” (The company has no public presence and does not describe its clients or services.) Smith is not the only former diplomat to be working for Qatar’s interests. Even if we stick to public data, several former ambassadors have gone so far as to openly take Qatari money.

If these allegations can be proven, Ilhan Omar’s political career and likely her freedom will be finished. Working on behalf of a foreign government is arguably the worst thing an elected official can do.



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