A growing chorus of financial experts and lawmakers are casting doubt on Representative Ilhan Omar’s claim that a massive $30 million discrepancy in her financial disclosures was simply an accountant’s mistake. While the Minnesota Democrat recently amended her filing to show a net worth of just $95,000, critics argue that the sheer scale of the “glitch” is impossible to overlook.
Dan Geltrude, a certified public accountant and founder of Geltrude & Company, told Fox Business that the congresswoman’s explanation is highly implausible. He noted that even if an accountant assisted with the paperwork, the legal burden of accuracy falls squarely on the person signing the document.
“Are you telling me that she didn’t notice that her net worth went from $100,000 to $30 million?” Geltrude said during an interview with David Asman. “Don’t blame the accountant. You can’t say you don’t know. Your signature on that form holds you legally accountable.”
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The controversy began when Omar’s 2025 disclosure initially listed her assets between $6 million and $30 million—a staggering jump from previous years. After the Office of Congressional Compliance (OCC) questioned the figures, Omar filed an amended version, claiming the original numbers were the result of an error involving her husband’s business interests, which reportedly include a winery and a venture-capital firm.
Geltrude dismissed the idea that an accountant would independently conjure such high figures. “The accountant did not make these numbers up. These numbers were provided in some form for the accountant to prepare the forms,” he said. “Either she misled in some way, or she simply didn’t review the forms. Either way, there is no excuse.”
The situation has re-ignited interest in past probes into Omar’s finances, including previous Justice Department interest in her husband’s income. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer also weighed in, suggesting the error is too large to be an accident.
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“Either her accountant went to one of those quality learning centers… or she lied about it,” Comer told Sean Hannity. He pointed out that the digital filing process requires multiple confirmations before submission, making a hidden $30 million “typo” unlikely.
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer took it a step further, stating that if Omar is found to have personally benefited from any misrepresentation, she should be held “accountable to the fullest extent.”
For now, Omar has not offered a detailed explanation of how $95,000 was originally reported as $30 million, other than to cite a mistake by her tax preparer.
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