Watchdog Says Omar Defaulted On Student Loans, Urges House To Garnish Salary psss
Posted November 19, 2025
Watchdog Says Omar Defaulted On Student Loans, Urges House To Garnish Salary
Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota is facing new scrutiny over her personal finances after a watchdog group accused her of defaulting on federal student loans while advocating for debt forgiveness in Congress.
The American Accountability Foundation (AAF) sent a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson on Friday alleging that Omar, who earns $174,000 a year, is in collection proceedings over federally guaranteed student loans.
“We are writing today to share serious concerns about abuse of office and abuse of government loans by a member of the House of Representatives, Representative Ilhan Omar,” AAF President Thomas Jones wrote.
According to the group, Omar’s financial disclosure forms show she owes between $15,001 and $50,000 in outstanding student loan debt — loans backed by the federal government.
“As you know, these loans are guaranteed by the United States Government and Representative Omar’s default would shift the cost of her student loans onto the U.S. taxpayer,” Jones said. “The fact that someone making $174,000 as a Member of Congress cannot pay their student loans is unconscionable and embarrassing.”
The group went further, accusing Omar of using her position to pressure federal agencies not to enforce collection on her loans.
“Adding insult to injury, there are credible claims that she is using her influence as a Member of Congress to bully the Department of Education into not collecting the past-due payments,” Jones wrote.
Jones said his organization filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to obtain any correspondence between Omar and the Department of Education related to her loans.
The letter urged Speaker Johnson to take an unprecedented step to ensure taxpayers are not left on the hook.
“We are calling upon you to instruct the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives to impound Representative Omar’s Congressional salary and pay it out to Nelnet, the servicer of her federal student loan, until such time as her payments are current,” the letter said.
Omar’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the allegations.
The AAF has frequently targeted Democratic lawmakers with ethics complaints and financial investigations, arguing that elected officials should be held to a higher standard when it comes to managing public and personal funds.
Critics say the revelations highlight a potential conflict of interest for Omar, who has been one of the most vocal advocates of widespread student debt cancellation. She has repeatedly called for full forgiveness of federal student loans, framing the issue as one of economic justice.
“If you’re in default on taxpayer-backed loans and using your office to influence policy that could personally benefit you, that’s an ethical red flag,” Jones said.
Omar’s finances have drawn attention before. In 2023, the financial analytics firm Quiver Quantitative noted a sharp change in her disclosures over the years.
“When she first filed in 2019, she didn’t disclose any assets,” the firm wrote at the time. “Her recent filing shows assets worth up to $288,000. However, she now has up to $100,000 in credit card debt, along with up to $50,000 of existing student loan debt.”
The latest claims add to the list of controversies surrounding the congresswoman, who has faced ethics complaints and campaign finance questions in the past.
Whether the House takes action remains to be seen, but AAF says it will continue pressing for transparency — and repayment.
Millionaire Secretly Tests His Maid’s Loyalty, What She Does With the Money Will Break You
Millionaire Secretly Tests His Maid’s Loyalty, What She Does With the Money Will Break You
Arthur had everything, mansions, money, power. But he trusted no one.
Every smile felt fake. Every handshake, a transaction. And even the people who worked under his roof weren’t above suspicion.
Especially not Clara.
She was the new maid. Quiet. Gentle. Kept her head down. Barely three months on the job. But Arthur had been burned before, liquor stolen, heirlooms gone, even his grandfather’s gold cufflinks vanished one Christmas. He didn’t believe in innocence anymore.
So one rainy afternoon, he set a trap.
The Setup
He left the door to his private study wide open. So was the massive steel safe. Inside: stacks of cash, gold coins, even a few rare collectibles. All deliberately displayed.
Then he hid, just out of sight, and waited.
Soon, Clara stepped in with a dusting cloth.
She froze.
Her eyes flicked to the open safe. Arthur held his breath. He
But she didn’t run to the safe.
She placed her cloth on the table and peeked into the hallway.
“Mr. Sterling?” she called out gently. “Your safe is open. Should I shut it?”
No reply. Arthur stayed hidden.
She stood still for a moment. Whispered to herself, “Maybe he left it like that.”
Then, slowly, she approached the safe. But her body didn’t move like someone about to steal. It moved like someone walking into a memory she didn’t want to relive.
She stared at the cash.
“This could solve everything,” she whispered.
Arthur felt his chest tighten.
The Test
Clara reached in and picked up a bundle of hundred-dollar bills.
Arthur’s heart sank.
There it is, he thought. Just like the others.
But instead of pocketing the money, she did something that made him stop breathing altogether.
She walked over to his desk.
Took out a small envelope from her apron.
Slipped the cash inside.
And wrote:
For my brother’s operation. Loan only. Will repay every dollar.
Her voice cracked. “I can’t… not like this. He needs help, but if I steal… what kind of sister would I be?”
She placed the envelope down, gently closed the safe, wiped her face, and whispered to herself:
“You’ll find a way, Clara. Just not this way.”
Then she picked up her cloth and kept cleaning like nothing happened.
Arthur, still hidden in the shadows, didn’t know what to feel.
The Confrontation
An hour passed. She returned.
This time, Arthur stepped out.
Clara jumped. “Mr. Sterling! I didn’t know you were—”
“You saw the safe,” he interrupted.
“Yes, sir. I… I shut it,” she said quickly.
“You handled the money.”
She froze. “Yes, but only for a moment. I wasn’t going to take it. I just… needed to remember why I keep trying.”
Arthur walked over, picked up the envelope.
“You mean this?”
Clara’s eyes filled with fear. “You saw everything?”
“I did,” he said. “You could’ve walked away with thousands. No one would’ve known.”
Her voice trembled. “But I would’ve known. And my brother? I’ve spent years teaching him we don’t take what isn’t ours, no matter how hard life gets.”
The Truth
“Your brother,” Arthur asked, “is he sick?”
She nodded. “He’s twelve. Lost both our parents. I’m all he has. I work as much as I can, but the surgery costs more than I’ll ever earn scrubbing floors.”
She paused. “I thought maybe I could… borrow it. Just this once. But it’s not mine. I wasn’t raised like that. I just needed a little hope.”
Arthur didn’t speak.
He had set this same trap for many others. Most failed. And every time they did, it made him feel justified.
But now? He only felt shame.
The Offer
He slid the envelope back toward her.
“Take it.”
Clara shook her head. “No. I’m not a thief.”
“It’s not a gift,” Arthur said quietly. “It’s a loan. No interest. No papers. Just… help. For someone who still believes in right and wrong.”
Tears spilled down her cheeks. “Why would you do this?”
“Because I was wrong about you. And because once, someone helped me when I didn’t deserve it. Maybe this is my turn.”
What Came After
Clara took the envelope with shaking hands. Her thanks was barely audible.
Her brother had the surgery. Recovered completely.
And every week after that, Clara left a tiny envelope on Arthur’s desk marked Repayment.
He never opened a single one.
He kept them all in the safe, not for the money, but as proof that trust could still exist.
Years Later
Clara earned a scholarship and left to become a nurse.
When she graduated, Arthur sat quietly in the audience. He’d never done that for anyone before.
When someone asked him why he was there, he simply replied:
“She reminded me that wealth isn’t about what you keep. It’s about what you give when no one’s looking.”
And deep down, he knew-
That moment in the study hadn’t just saved a boy’s life…
It had saved a part of himself too.
