U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) accused the Trump administration of using the Justice Department to pursue its political opponents after federal agents raided Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s home this weekend, just weeks before the midterm elections.
The senator, a consistent Trump critic, compared the administration’s kid glove treatment of Kimberly Guilfoyle, who was removed as U.S. Ambassador to Greece when allegations came to light that she sought $100,000 from a Trump donor and offered him access to administration officials, to the treatment of Omar.
“Kimberly Guilfoyle commits a crime in broad daylight but they conduct a pre-election raid relative to paperwork filed when Omar was a child,” Murphy wrote on Monday. “We all see what’s happening here.”
Kimberly Guilfoyle commits a crime in broad daylight but they conduct a pre-election raid relative to paperwork filed when Omar was a child.
We all see what’s happening here. And it’s not going to scare people into silence. It’s going to cause more people to vote. https://t.co/f26s1T9TzI
— Chris Murphy
(@ChrisMurphyCT) October 12, 2026
Murphy’s accusation came before the White House asked Guilfoyle to resign on Tuesday. His assertion that she committed a crime has not been established, and Guilfoyle denies the allegations.
According to Reuters, federal immigration agents arrived before dawn Monday at Omar’s Washington, D.C. home and executed a search warrant as part of an immigration-fraud investigation.
A person familiar with the investigation told Reuters that part of the inquiry involves immigration paperwork completed by Omar’s late father when she was a child.
The Justice Department did not say what agents were looking for or accuse Omar of a crime. It announced: “Today in the Washington, DC area, Homeland Security Investigations executed a judicially authorized search warrant secured by the Department of Justice. This enforcement action is part of an ongoing federal investigation.”
Omar, a Somali-born American citizen seeking a fifth term in Congress, called the search an attempt to frighten her into silence.
“For ten years, Trump has targeted me with baseless lies and smear campaigns,” Omar said. “This is just the latest escalation in his campaign of political intimidation. I will not be silenced.”
[NOTE: Justice Department policy prohibits federal prosecutors and agents from timing investigative actions to influence an election. The raid occurred three weeks before the November 3 midterms.]
Trump spoke about Omar later Monday at a campaign rally in Ohio.
“She comes from one of the worst countries anywhere on the planet,” Trump said. “What a mess they have done—Somalia.”
Members of the crowd responded by chanting, “Deport, deport.”
The allegations against Guilfoyle concern text messages she reportedly exchanged with Trump donor Eric Deters before her confirmation as ambassador. Deters said Guilfoyle asked him to pay a $100,000 American Express bill and offered access to senior administration officials.
Guilfoyle’s lawyers said she was seeking payment for public appearances and speaking engagements completed before her nomination and had not offered government access in exchange for the money.
Trump said Monday that he was considering firing Guilfoyle. The following day, the White House announced that she had been asked to resign.
“She was doing a good job, but we didn’t like what we were reading,” Trump told reporters.
White House press secretary Katie Zacharia called Guilfoyle “a wonderful asset to the team” while confirming her departure.
Reuters also reported that the State Department’s inspector general was examining complaints from employees at the U.S. Embassy in Athens about Guilfoyle’s conduct.
“While my time as Ambassador may be coming to an end, my commitment to President Trump, the America First movement, and the country I love will never end,” Guilfoyle wrote after the White House announcement.
“These allegations are false,” she added, “and I intend to vigorously defend my name, my reputation, and my integrity.”