Ilhan Omar doubles down on ‘real name’ when confronted at Mall of Somalia
Rep. Ilhan Omar told Fox News Digital that her “real name” is “Ilhan Abdullahi Omar” after a federal court filing identified the congresswoman by a last name matching that of her ex-husband, whom reports have alleged is her brother. “Ilhan Abdullahi Omar, you know it,” Omar told Fox News Digital when asked about her name. “It’s Ilhan Abdullahi Omar.” Omar was spotted by Fox News Digital at the Karmel Mall of Somalia in Minnesota as she made her way into the Karmel Masjid, inside the mall, for Friday prayers. ILHAN OMAR CALLS TRUMP ‘CREEP’ AS PRESIDENT REVIVES ‘FAKE NAME,’ MARRIAGE ALLEGATIONS Her comments come after two people familiar with the ongoing investigation into the Somali-born congresswoman, including a law enforcement source, said that her real name is Ilhan Nur Said Elmi. The last name is the same as her ex-husband, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, who is alleged to be her brother. Federal prosecutors referred to the Minnesota Democrat as “Ilhan Nur Said Elmi, a/k/a Ilhan Abdullahi Omar,” in a Wednesday filing in D.C. federal court, as first reported by Fox News Digital. One source said the language used for her name in the filing reflected the evidence that has so far been compiled in the immigration fraud investigation. ILHAN OMAR HIT WITH EXPULSION THREAT AS GOP LAWMAKER VOWS TO BOOT HER FROM CONGRESS OVER DOJ PROBE One source disputed Omar’s account of her name, telling Fox News Digital, ‘That’s not her real name.’ U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro filed a motion on Wednesday seeking to prevent the federal search warrant for the congresswoman’s home from being unsealed, which was requested by several media outlets. The motion says the federal government is not yet finished executing the search warrant, and that it shouldn’t be unsealed yet. ILHAN OMAR’S SISTER QUESTIONED BY FEDS AFTER DRAMATIC DC HOME RAID “Before the Court are three Applications to unseal ex parte materials and proceedings related to a federal search warrant for the personal residence in the District of Columbia of Congresswoman Ilhan Nur Said Elmi, a/k/a Ilhan Abdullahi Omar…” the motion begins. If proven in court that the congresswoman was not using her “real name,” every single form she ever filled out could be subject to investigation, a former Minnesota federal immigration judge said. Omar’s spokesperson repeatedly denied the claim, telling Fox News Digital on Thursday that the reports of her name being “Ilhan Nur Said Elmi” are “completely false,” then proceeding with an attack on Fox News. The spokesperson also denied that Omar was once married to her brother, calling the claims a “disgusting conspiracy theory.” Omar’s residence in Washington, D.C., was raided by Homeland Security Investigations earlier this month as part of a probe into whether she or her father committed immigration fraud when becoming naturalized citizens. Federal authorities have since issued subpoenas to members of Omar’s family and seized her cellphone. Fox News Digital’s Peter D’Abrosca and Kiera McDonald contributed to this report.
Ilhan Omar calls Trump ‘creep’ as president revives ‘fake name,’ marriage allegations
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., lashed out at President Donald Trump on Friday after he accused her of using a fake name and revived longstanding allegations surrounding her former marriage. “The pedophile protection party’s president is laundering right-wing conspiracy theories through the most corrupt DOJ in American history,” Omar wrote on X. “Whenever the news turns bad, this creep reaches for one name: mine,” she continued. “So let’s make it crystal clear. My name has always been Ilhan Omar.” ILHAN OMAR HIT WITH EXPULSION THREAT AS GOP LAWMAKER VOWS TO BOOT HER FROM CONGRESS OVER DOJ PROBE Omar then turned her fire on Vice President JD Vance, adding, “Maybe you should focus on what your VP’s real name is.” The verbal pushback came as Trump called on Omar to resign from Congress Thursday after Fox News Digital reported that Omar’s birth name is Ilhan Nur Said Elmi, according to two people familiar with the ongoing federal investigation, including a law enforcement source. A Justice Department court filing this week, related to a search warrant for her Washington-area home, identified the Minnesota Democrat as “Congresswoman Ilhan Nur Said Elmi, a/k/a Ilhan Abdullahi Omar.” Omar’s office disputed Fox News Digital’s reporting, insisting, “Ilhan Omar is her real name.” Omar has not been charged with a crime. ILHAN OMAR’S TURBULENT WEEK EXPLAINED: THE DUELING PROBES THAT THREW THE SOMALI-BORN PROGRESSIVE INTO CHAOS “It was just revealed that Ilhan Omar’s name is not Ilhan Omar,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Thursday, accusing the congresswoman of using a “fake name” and calling for her immediate resignation. Trump also revived longstanding allegations that Omar’s former husband, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, is her brother — claims Omar has repeatedly denied. He pointed out that the name used in the DOJ filings matched that of the man she allegedly married and is related to. When asked during an MS NOW interview this week whether there was any familial relationship with Elmi, Omar responded, “Not to my knowledge.” Her spokesperson later said the answer was sarcastic and reiterated that Omar “repeatedly and unequivocally” denied the allegation. Federal investigators are probing whether Omar or her father made false statements on immigration paperwork. Agents searched Omar’s Washington, D.C., residence earlier this month and seized her cellphone and passport, while her sister has also been questioned as part of the investigation, Fox News Digital previously reported.
‘Can’t trust Amy Acton’: Viral ad distracts from what’s really at stake in critical race, GOP strategist says
An ad earlier this week from Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy sparked outrage from both sides of the aisle, but a political strategist in the state says that the record of his opponent, former health director Amy Acton, is what ultimately makes the difference in the race. The ad features Acton’s estranged mother, Donna Arthur, accusing her daughter of lying about her childhood and questioning her fitness to serve as governor. Acton responded by saying she and her brother were removed from their mother’s custody after her stepfather was accused of sexually abusing her, and Ramaswamy was quickly blasted by Democrats and some Republicans over the ad, which he has defended and spent millions to run over the next couple of weeks. The controversy over the ad went viral on social media and was even commented on by President Donald Trump, who strongly defended Ramaswamy. Ohio attorney and political strategist Mehek Cooke told Fox News Digital that Acton’s record is what should be under the microscope, not the ad. “I think that we have to really shift from Vivek’s recent ad into the most important question for Ohioans is, who do you want governing the state of Ohio? We clearly can’t trust Amy Acton, and she has a record of that,” Cooke told Fox News Digital. RAMASWAMY TORCHES DEM RIVAL OVER ‘OUTRAGEOUS’ COVID-19 CLAIM: ‘SPEWING LIES’ Acton’s record involves controversies both professionally and personally, many of which have been focused on by ads in the state of Ohio. Acton served as health director under Republican Gov. Mike DeWine during the first months of COVID-19, when Ohio closed schools, shuttered bars and restaurants, restricted businesses and imposed a statewide stay-at-home order. She also signed orders restricting nursing-home visitors, closing senior centers and adult daycare facilities, limiting mass gatherings and closing gyms and personal-service businesses before leaving the position amid pushback for the negative impact the lockdowns had. ‘GENERATION COVID’ EXPLORES THE LASTING TOLL OF PANDEMIC-ERA SCHOOL CLOSURES “She worked as a health director for Mike DeWine and left after masking our children, shutting down our state, and yes, Mike DeWine’s name is on those orders, but at the end of the day, it was Amy Acton’s signature,” Cooke said. “And she’s the one who pushed for locking down our kids. I don’t ever want to hire somebody who quits on the state during a pandemic. I can’t imagine if she had another meltdown, whether it was managing our state budget or anything else. So people don’t trust Amy.” Acton’s handling of nursing homes has also drawn criticism in pro-Ramaswamy advertisements on the airwaves. Ohio imposed a broad visitor ban at nursing homes and similar facilities in March 2020, separating residents from family members during the early months of the pandemic. The Ohio Department of Health was later sued over its refusal to release facility-level COVID-19 death data. An Ohio appeals court ruled that the department violated the state’s public-records law by refusing to provide information about nursing-home deaths. ‘COVID 2.0’: LAWMAKERS PUSH BACK ON SWEEPING HEALTH ‘POLICE POWER’ IN KEY BATTLEGROUND STATE The ruling involved the health department as an agency and did not establish that Acton personally ordered the records to be withheld. However, critics have continued to argue that the controversy raises questions about transparency during her tenure. Acton’s closure orders also became the subject of litigation from Ohio gyms. In the Rock House Fitness case, a court described the state’s actions as “arbitrary, unreasonable, and oppressive,” though subsequent legal proceedings and changes to the state’s orders complicated the dispute. More recently, five current and former state-government workers told the Washington Examiner that Acton was sometimes absent from pandemic strategy meetings and emotionally volatile while leading the state’s response. One source alleged that she was found curled up on the floor before an emergency meeting, while another said she was seen crying in a bathroom. A separate 2019 police report has also become a campaign issue. Bexley police responded to Acton’s home after a reported domestic dispute involving her husband. According to reporting based on the police report, Acton’s daughter told police that Acton had been drinking, throwing things and breaking glass. The report also said Acton pulled a mirror from a wall, shattering it. No one was injured and no charges were filed. Acton’s campaign described the episode as a normal marital argument and disputed claims that it demonstrated alcohol abuse. Acton has called broader accusations that she is an alcoholic or drug addict “lies” and “a complete fabrication.” Cooke explained that supporting law enforcement will be a critical attribute the next governor needs and that Acton has shown she is weak in that area, pointing to an Acton comment that appeared to compare ICE agents to the KKK and tying Acton to the “defund the police” ideology popular with socialist candidates across the country. “There are people coming out there wearing masks, with all the gear on,” Acton said earlier this year during a City Club of Cleveland forum. “We don’t even know who they are. They’re just showing up. Does this not feel like the Ku Klux Klan to anyone?” While Ramaswamy has faced blowback for using Acton’s mother in an ad, the race had already gotten personal and tied to family, with Acton’s side running ads invoking Ramaswamy’s mother. “They have run an attack ad on Vivek Ramaswamy’s mother and the failure of an Alzheimer’s drug, they started attacking family first and I think politics is brutal,” Cooke said. “This is a contact sport in terms of anything in your closet. It all goes, but the difference is Vivek actually comes and addresses questions. He talks to people. He explains whether it was his businesses or anything else that he has conducted for the betterment of our economy and Ohioans. Amy continues to hide.” With 11 days until voters decide who will be the next governor of Ohio, Acton has not yet agreed to debate Ramaswamy, which Cooke says is because she can’t articulate
Federal judge kicked off ‘botch job’ anti-DEI case after stunning appeals court rebuke
A federal judge was removed from a challenge to Mississippi’s anti-DEI law after the Fifth Circuit blasted his handling of the case as a “botch job,” pointing to orders riddled with factual errors, an apparent AI-hallucinated case citation and faulty applications of Supreme Court precedent. In an opinion penned by Judge Jerry Smith, a Reagan appointee, the appeals court vacated Reagan-appointed Judge Henry Wingate’s preliminary injunction blocking the law and ordered the case reassigned to a different judge — an “extraordinary” and “rarely invoked” move. “This district judge carelessly exercised his Article III power by issuing sloppy edicts based on falsehoods and fabrications,” Smith wrote, adding that “the district court—or perhaps, being charitable, its AI agent—ignored and manipulated governing law, apparently to satisfy a policy agenda.” The controversy surrounding Wingate’s handling of the case began with serious errors in a temporary restraining order he issued in July after a group of teachers, parents and students sued, arguing that a Mississippi state law restricting DEI-related practices in public schools and universities violated the First and Fourteenth Amendments. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION PROPOSES STRIPPING TAX-EXEMPT STATUS FROM SCHOOLS USING RACE-BASED PROGRAMS Wingate replaced the order just two days later after Mississippi officials flagged major factual errors, including 11 individuals and organizations identified as plaintiffs who were never a part of the case, two officials incorrectly named as defendants and unsupported claims that three schools had already canceled DEI programs because of the law. The original TRO also cited purported declarations from four people who did not appear anywhere in the record and “may not even exist,” according to the Fifth Circuit. It also attributed language to the bill that does not appear in the law, including references to “race or sex stereotyping,” “race or sex scapegoating,” “critical race theory” and “institutional bias.” “We are grateful—and, indeed, lucky—that the defendants provided a copy of the original TRO as an exhibit in their July 28 motion, ECF 58-1, given that Judge Wingate kept it from public view,” Smith wrote. Even the corrected TRO contained errors, including a citation to a nonexistent case that the Fifth Circuit called “an apparent AI hallucination.” Wingate cited the purported case while discussing the relationship between temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunctions, leading Smith to conclude that the fabricated citation was “arguably part of the shoddy reasoning of the preliminary injunction, too.” Wingate later acknowledged that a law clerk had used artificial intelligence to assist in drafting the TRO, following accusations of AI use surfacing publicly. Wingate said the errors were “clerical” and did not affect the court’s “core legal reasoning or the ultimate judgment on the merits.” The Fifth Circuit pushed back on that explanation, questioning “how so many mistaken facts could not at least marginally ‘affect’ ‘core legal reasoning’ or support for the judgment on the merits.” The Fifth Circuit found major flaws in Wingate’s legal reasoning, accusing the judge of misinterpreting Supreme Court rulings on free speech challenges, exceeding the limits of court injunctions and mishandling legal protections for government and public-employee speech. The panel zeroed in on the Supreme Court’s 2024 decision in Moody v. NetChoice, which sets a two-step test for courts considering First Amendment challenges seeking to strike down a law entirely. DOJ MOVES TO BOOT FEDERAL JUDGES FROM IMMIGRATION CASES OVER NYT INTERVIEW Under the Moody analysis, a court can strike down an entire law on First Amendment grounds only if its unconstitutional applications substantially outweigh its constitutional ones. The appeals court took issue with Wingate describing the Moody framework as “supposedly” required. “That Judge Wingate twice refers to the Moody framework as ‘supposedly’ required calls into question whether he even tried in good faith to follow the law,” Smith wrote. “The district court’s laxity in observing the binding authority of the Supreme Court is yet another reason to doom the preliminary injunction,” Smith continued. The appeals court also faulted Wingate for his reasoning in granting preliminary relief, pointing to his ruling that the court “should pause when faced with an unsettled area with such dire possible consequences.” “That gets the entire law of injunctive relief completely backwards,” Smith wrote. “A preliminary injunction cannot stand just because there is a possibility of success on the merits,” Smith continued. The appeals court also accused Wingate of misreading the Supreme Court’s 2025 decision in Trump v. CASA, which limits judges from issuing orders that go beyond what is needed to protect the people who filed the lawsuit. Wingate cited CASA in concluding that injunctions like the one before him “should be all-or-nothing renditions.” SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER “That is almost exactly the opposite of what CASA says,” Smith wrote. “The quoted portion was the Supreme Court’s cautioning against overbroad relief and urging judges to tailor relief to what is absolutely necessary and nothing more.” The Fifth Circuit sent the case back to the Southern District of Mississippi, where a new judge will consider it.
Thune weighs nightmare scenario for GOP as Democrats threaten to flip House
FREMONT, Neb. — If Democrats are able to gain control of the House of Representatives, one relationship between the top two lawmakers on both sides of Congress could define the remainder of President Donald Trump’s time in office. If that’s the outcome on Election Night, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., would have to work with the Democratic leader who rises in the House, and that is expected to be House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., who has led Democrats in the lower chamber since 2023. But Thune, in an interview with Fox News Digital on the campaign trail in Nebraska, remained confident that wouldn’t be the outcome. THUNE MAKES BOLD PREDICTION ABOUT REPUBLICANS’ SENATE CHANCES AS GOP PULLS MILLIONS FROM KEY RACES “Well, I mean, I think obviously that’s an entirely different dynamic,” Thune said. “You’ve got a situation with divided government and that creates a different incentive structure in terms of if you want to be able to get things done, but I don’t assume for a minute that’s going to happen.” “I still think that when push comes to shove and people look at the choices in front of them that we have a really good shot at hanging on both the House and the Senate,” he continued. Election forecasters predict that the Senate could stay in Republican control, though seven total races are considered toss-ups by the Cook Political Report. Republicans’ chances of holding onto power in the House, however, are murkier, given that dozens of battleground seats are in play that have shifted favorably toward Democrats. The GOP has had a grip on the lower chamber since 2022, when it flipped the House during former President Joe Biden’s presidency. But a deeply unpopular Trump, whose approval ratings have dipped to historic lows, and continued economic pressures could contribute to Democrats regaining power. JOHNSON DOWNPLAYS GOP’S MIDTERM WOES AS DEMOCRATS EYE HOUSE TAKEOVER: ‘I AM VERY BULLISH’ Jeffries’ office did not respond to an inquiry from Fox News Digital asking whether he could work with Thune if both won their respective leadership spots. There has been no love lost between the two men during this congressional term so far, with each sharply criticizing the other during key legislative fights. Thune blasted Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., earlier this year as talks began to break down over funding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The top Republican accused both of being “afraid of their shadows,” and being controlled by their left flank. That prompted Jeffries to retort to reporters that it was Thune who was “scared of his own shadow” during the partisan standoff. During the 2025 government shutdown, Jeffries accused Thune of “trying to bluff his way into an agreement” on federal spending. Congress is no stranger to a divided government, either. From 2023 to early 2025, Republicans controlled the House and Democrats held a razor-thin majority in the Senate. SCHUMER WARNS OF REPUBLICAN ADVANTAGE THAT COULD CHANGE THE BATTLE FOR SENATE CONTROL During that time, according to data collected by the Pew Research Center, the split Congress produced 106 laws. This version of Congress has so far produced 121 laws, with some major legislative action happening, like the “big, beautiful bill” and a major housing affordability package, passing between historically long government shutdowns. Thune is laser-focused on keeping the GOP’s control of the Senate, which was under Democratic control until 2024, when Trump and Republicans clinched a trifecta in Washington, D.C. He’s crisscrossed the country for the last several weeks of the homestretch heading into the election on Nov. 3, boosting candidates in competitive races that could determine the balance of power in the Senate. Republican control of the upper chamber, he contended, would be vital to continuing key chunks of Trump’s agenda, including confirming his judicial and other executive branch nominations. “So if you want to see the country succeed and move forward, we’ve got to have a majority in the U.S. Senate to work with this president,” Thune said. “Hopefully with a majority in the House as well, but I am very committed to doing whatever I can in the next couple of weeks getting around the country on behalf of our candidates to ensure that we have that majority in the Senate.”
Reporter’s Notebook: Congress braces for post-election game of musical chairs as leadership battles loom
Capitol Hill is about to embark on a biennial game of musical chairs. Everyone needs to find a seat when the music stops. Those who don’t are out. There are four sets of leadership elections pending in Congress over the next few weeks. House Republicans and Democrats will pick their top leaders. The same with Senate Republicans and Democrats. The entire House must elect a speaker when the new Congress convenes on Jan. 3. The full Senate chooses the majority leader. That’s decided individually by the majority party in the Senate. We anticipate a scramble for leadership positions in the days following the election, depending on which party captures the majority of each body for the new Congress. JORDAN EMERGES AS POTENTIAL NEXT GOP LEADER IF DEMS SEIZE HOUSE Let’s start with House Republicans. If Republicans maintain control of the House, the GOP will likely maintain its current leadership team of House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., and Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn. However, if the GOP loses control of the House, recriminations — and an epic game of vicious political musical chairs likely commences. The reason? In the minority, a party only has two top leadership positions compared to three in the majority. Will Johnson slide to minority leader? Does he want that slot? Does President Donald Trump want him in that position? Or someone else? Regardless, whoever Trump wants as the top House Republican is the one who gets that slot in the new Congress. Would Scalise become minority leader? Would he slide to minority whip? Where does Emmer fit in here? Could Emmer become the top House GOPer? Then there is Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio. It’s clear that Jordan wants to become the top Republican in the House. He’s campaigned for Republican candidates and members for months and has raised money on the GOP’s behalf for years. It’s unclear if Jordan might be in a race against Johnson or any of the others soon. Keep in mind that Scalise, Emmer and Jordan all lost bids to become speaker when the House dismissed former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., in the fall of 2023. In fact, Jordan lost multiple floor votes for speaker before the House Republican Conference nixed him as the GOP nominee. In the interim, Jordan has worked to build bridges among Republicans who opposed him three years ago. The Ohio Republican also remains a close ally of Trump. Jordan also maintains strong ties to the conservative House Freedom Caucus. JEFFRIES WELCOMES DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS INTO THE FOLD AS CRITICS WARN PARTY IS REVEALING ‘EXACTLY WHO IT IS’ The question is what rank-and-file Republicans want to do if they find themselves in the minority? Some might prefer a wholesale set of changes among the GOP leadership team. But it will come down to musical chairs. And somebody — if not several somebodies — probably lack a seat when the music stops. For the Democrats, their situation is easier. Let’s say Democrats do win control of the House. Yes, the Democratic Socialists of America and some possible members have reservations about promoting House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., to become speaker of the House. But it’s hard to see that Democrats wouldn’t tap him as the first Black speaker in American history. House Minority Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass., would matriculate to majority leader. House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., would likely become majority whip. However, if Democrats don’t win the House, would their top leaders remain in place? Unclear. Democrats have established high expectations. So one can envision a scenario where rank-and-file Democrats are so exercised about a midterm loss that they call for some new leaders if Democrats fail to flip the House in such a toxic political environment for Republicans. Then, there’s the Senate. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., does not wield the same political currency with Trump as Johnson. The president has started to make demands of the Senate schedule or what he wants passed. The South Dakota Republican has resisted many of those entreaties. But what happens if Republicans lose control of the Senate? Many Senate Republicans are apoplectic at how the president treated Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, who formerly served as Senate GOP whip. They will rage if the president calls for the dismissal of Thune — in the minority but especially the majority. So far, Trump has kept things in check and not expressed direct displeasure with Thune personally. But one wonders how long that would continue. Especially considering what the president said about former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. – who ushered three Supreme Court nominees to confirmation under dramatic circumstances. THUNE MAKES BOLD PREDICTION ABOUT REPUBLICANS’ SENATE CHANCES AS GOP PULLS MILLIONS FROM KEY RACES Who could step into a possible Senate GOP leadership void? Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., is the obvious choice. Barrasso appears closer to the president than Thune — and remains airtight when given the opportunity to criticize Trump. That could work in Barrasso’s favor if there’s an opening. But leadership elections are always about opportunities. And sometimes those figures with certain bona fides have too much baggage from being on the job for a while. Here are the names to watch if there’s a push for changes inside the GOP leadership ranks: Sens. Katie Britt, R-Ala., John Kennedy, R-La., and Rick Scott, R-Fla. A former Senate aide, Britt has a solid “inside game” and works well with the administration. Kennedy’s folksy manner makes him a darling of TV appearances. He also spent lots of time on the road campaigning for Senate Republican candidates. Scott ran for majority leader two years ago and lost to Thune and Cornyn in the first round. Then there are Senate Democrats. Some have lobbed gobs of criticism at Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. His age. His style of politics seems archaic to some. But it’s hard to argue with success. Schumer likely becomes majority leader if Democrats flip the Senate.
Chicago’s 12-language ballots make elections ‘harder to monitor,’ Illinois GOP chair warns
Chicago voters can cast ballots in 12 different languages this election, an expansion that Illinois Republican Party Chairman Bob Grogan warns is making an already complicated election system harder to independently monitor. Grogan told Fox News Digital the proliferation of versions in languages such as Tagalog, Gujarati and Urdu creates additional challenges for election judges and party observers tasked with ensuring voters receive accurate ballots. He also questioned how many voters need some of the translations, arguing that many immigrants who speak those languages also speak English. “It’s a solution in search of a problem,” Grogan told Fox News Digital. “It’s big city virtue signaling.” TRUMP ADMIN SUED OVER ALLEGED ILLEGAL COLLECTION OF SENSITIVE VOTER DATA FROM 47 STATES Chicago voters can cast ballots in 12 different languages: English, Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Korean, Tagalog, Polish, Gujarati, Urdu, Ukrainian, Arabic and Russian. Section 203 of the U.S. Voting Rights Act requires the Chicago Board of Elections to make materials and ballots available in certain precincts for Spanish, Chinese and Hindi speakers, a spokesperson for the elections agency told Fox News Digital. The Board includes the other non-English languages to “maintain uniformity with the languages used by the Cook County Clerk’s office under a county ordinance, so that all voters throughout Cook County are afforded equal voting opportunities,” the spokesperson added. But Grogan, a former DuPage County auditor for 12 years, said he has “a fair number of Gujarati friends … and everyone in their family speaks English.” “Gujarati — it’s from India, and English is an official language in India,” Grogan added. TRUMP ADMIN’S PROPOSED ‘ENGLISH-ONLY’ HEAD START RULE DRAWS FIRE FROM LOS ANGELES MAYORAL CANDIDATE Data provided to Fox News Digital by the Chicago Board of Elections shows that some of the less commonly used language options accounted for only a handful of ballots cast during the March primary. Just nine ballots were cast using the English-Gujarati option, while 15 used English-Urdu, 10 used English-Arabic and 25 each used English-Russian and English-Ukrainian, according to the Board’s figures. Other translations were used more frequently, including 4,474 English-Polish ballots, 2,183 English-Chinese ballots, 664 English-Hindi ballots, 352 English-Korean ballots and 100 English-Tagalog ballots. Grogan also questioned why language requirements can change substantially across county lines, noting that Chicago offers touchscreen ballots in 12 languages while nearby DuPage County offers fewer language options. “You can have a Gujarati population in Peoria,” Grogan said. “You would think that there would be some more uniformity to all of that as well.” SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER Beyond questioning the need for some of the translations, Grogan raised a broader concern about oversight, arguing that election judges and party observers cannot independently scrutinize ballots written in languages they do not understand. However, the Chicago Board of Elections pushed back, telling Fox News Digital that it has in-house staff who help translate ballots and signs and assist multilingual media ahead of elections. It also said voters are allowed to bring “interpreter[s] to assist them in understanding and casting their ballot” under certain conditions. When asked about multilingual judges, the Board noted that of the 7,218 election judges assigned for November’s general election as of Thursday, 810 are multilingual candidates. Those multilingual judges include speakers of Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Urdu, Gujarati, Polish, Korean and Tagalog, according to the Board. Pressed on whether he believes the additional languages create an election security vulnerability, Grogan said the risk depends in part on how widely the translated ballots are used. Overall, the Board’s figures show 7,857 multilingual ballots were cast during the March primary, representing about 1.85% of the 424,564 ballots cast citywide. “I think it certainly makes it harder to monitor,” Grogan said. “If there is one ballot cast in that language, that’s a very small vulnerability you have. If all of a sudden we have 10,000 in some very small, poorly understood language, then that increases the risk.” Fox News Digital asked the Chicago Board of Elections how many languages are available for mail-in ballots but did not receive a response in time for publication.
Ex-FBI officials arrested in Hunter Biden laptop probe as testimony comes under scrutiny
The Department of Justice charged two former FBI officials with lying to Congress about their involvement in FBI investigations into Hunter Biden, including matters involving his laptop. Former FBI officials Nikki Cole Floris and Bradley Benavides, according to the DOJ, falsely denied involvement in the investigations into former President Joe Biden’s son when speaking to Congress. Both surrendered Friday on arrest warrants, according to the DOJ. “Lying to Congress by anyone strikes at the heart of our democratic system, but when senior FBI agents lie to Congress believing they are above the law, it’s time to bring the hammer of justice down on them,” U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said of the charges. “When senior officials entrusted with safeguarding our nation’s security choose deception over duty, they undermine the very institutions they swore to uphold. Today’s action makes clear that no one is above the law, and we will hold accountable all who obstruct the truth.” FBI CO-DEPUTY DIRECTOR ANDREW BAILEY RESIGNS AFTER YEAR IN ROLE The Justice Department claims to possess evidence that shows Benavides discussed the laptop story with others in the FBI, contradicting his testimony that he learned about the story from Wikipedia. Similarly, the department says that it has evidence Floris discussed Hunter Biden with members of the FBI’s Foreign Influence Task Force, despite testifying to the contrary. “Nikki Floris is a patriot. She served our nation as a dedicated FBI intelligence officer for nearly 20 years. Yet today, the DOJ has accused her falsely of a crime on the say-so of politicians, not on the facts. It’s no coincidence the government is filing these nonsense charges now, years later, on the eve of an election,” her attorneys said in a statement. RUSSIAN SPIES ORCHESTRATED $40K MURDER PLOT IN NATION’S CAPITAL, US ALLEGES “This morning the FBI arrested two former FBI members of the now dissolved Foreign Influence Task Force, Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides, both of whom allegedly lied to Congress in 2023 on matters regarding investigations related to the 2020 election,” FBI Director Kash Patel said of the arrests. “One of these individuals is on record privately claiming to be ‘running a shadow government’ during the 2020 election. As we’ve said repeatedly: weaponization will never be tolerated at this FBI.” This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
Jackson again publicly breaks with Supreme Court as justices side with GOP in last-minute voter ID fight
Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was the lone public dissenter in a Thursday decision allowing New Hampshire to block the use of student ID cards in the upcoming midterm elections. Other justices on the court cited the longstanding precedent “that lower federal courts should ordinarily not alter the election rules on the eve of an election,” and said that lower courts failed to argue that the specific case in New Hampshire warranted an exception to the tradition. Jackson, however, argued the proximity to an election should not get in the way of properly applying the law. “I respectfully dissent because — even, and perhaps especially, when an election is looming — I would not disturb a clearly justifiable federal-court order issued to ensure that the public receives accurate information about a State’s electoral processes,” she wrote. FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS INDIANA BAN ON STUDENT ID FOR VOTING The underlying dispute stems from a law signed in April that went into effect in June, striking student ID cards from the list of forms of identification that election officials can accept when an individual requests a ballot. A voting rights group sued New Hampshire on the grounds that the law illegally discriminated against young voters by making it more difficult for them to vote. New Hampshire Secretary of State David Scanlan then issued guidance saying that student IDs could not be used to establish voter identity, even as supporting evidence under the state’s alternative verification procedures. A district judge blocked that portion of the guidance, arguing that it went beyond the scope of the law itself, which only removed student IDs from the list of expressly accepted forms of identification. Among the supporters of the guidance was the Republican National Committee. DEMS HAND GOP FRESH MIDTERM WEAPON BY OPPOSING WIDELY USED VOTER ID While Jackson was the lone public dissenter, it is possible that other justices dissented as well, but opted not to be named on the court order. During her roughly four years on the Supreme Court, Jackson has broken from the rest of her colleagues in areas such as campaign finance, immigration and congressional map litigation. In 2023, she was the lone dissenter in an 8-1 ruling allowing a concrete company to sue striking union workers. She also stood alone in a May 2026 decision involving federal prisoners seeking to challenge their convictions through compassionate release. TRUMP SCORES SUPREME COURT WIN IN ELECTION INTEGRITY FIGHT AS STATES GAIN NEW VOTER ROLL TOOL New Hampshire is holding a handful of close races on Election Day, putting some weight behind the court’s decision. Fox News’ power rankings rate the state’s Senate race as leans Democratic, meaning that liberals have a slight advantage in a race that could decide control of Congress. The state’s governor’s race, meanwhile, is rated as likely going to the GOP. College students typically favor the Democratic Party, though it is unclear how many voters will be affected by the court ruling, as students who previously relied on their student IDs will now need another accepted form of identification. Some Democrats, however, believe allowing voters to use student IDs would be a good thing. Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico, for instance, has pushed for such a thing in his state.
Ilhan Omar hit with expulsion threat as GOP lawmaker vows to boot her from Congress over DOJ probe
EXCLUSIVE: Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital that he plans to pursue an effort to expel Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., if the Justice Department finds her guilty of immigration fraud. Fine, a member of the House Freedom Caucus, made the comments after Fox News Digital reported that a federal court filing identified Omar under the name “Ilhan Nur Said Elmi,” also listing “Ilhan Abdullahi Omar” as an alias. The filing has raised questions about Omar’s identity and immigration records but does not establish that she committed fraud. “I assume that she’s not a citizen, so we might not even have to do that,” Fine said. “You can’t be in Congress if you’re not a citizen of the United States, but if it isn’t automatic, I absolutely will demand expulsion immediately.” ILHAN OMAR IS NOT THE MINNESOTA CONGRESSWOMAN’S ‘REAL NAME’: SOURCES Omar is a naturalized U.S. citizen. She was born in Somalia and became a U.S. citizen in 2000. She has denied wrongdoing and called the investigation politically motivated. Fine said Democrats would attempt to block any Republican effort to censure or expel Omar. HOMAN SAYS ILHAN OMAR COULD BE STRIPPED OF NATURALIZATION, DEPORTED IF IMMIGRATION FRAUD IS PROVEN “I don’t think Democrats think you should have to be American. They don’t believe in borders,” Fine said. “They’ve made that clear. They don’t believe in America.” The House has the constitutional authority to expel a member, but doing so requires a two-thirds vote. A criminal investigation or allegation alone does not automatically remove a member from Congress. Fine also criticized Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., who in September introduced the Reimagining Safety Act, legislation that would dismantle the Department of Homeland Security and abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection, while preserving some of its functions under a new agency, the Department of Community Safety. “Look at this bill filed by the congresswoman from Chicago, where she doesn’t believe we should have borders, border protection or the ability to deport anyone,” Fine said. ILHAN OMAR’S TURBULENT WEEK EXPLAINED: THE DUELING PROBES THAT THREW THE SOMALI-BORN PROGRESSIVE INTO CHAOS Fine also criticized Democrats who have called the Justice Department’s investigation into Omar politically motivated, pointing to the separate inquiry into her financial disclosures. The investigation into her finances began under former President Joe Biden in 2024, a detail that Fine claimed Democrats have intentionally overlooked. “Democrats don’t get held accountable for anything, and they agree on this agenda that is anti-American and anti-citizen,” Fine continued. Omar’s Washington, D.C., residence was searched by Homeland Security Investigations agents on Oct. 12 as part of a federal investigation into possible false statements on immigration and naturalization documents. Federal authorities have also issued grand jury subpoenas to members of Omar’s family and seized her cellphone, according to The Associated Press. Omar’s office did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Fox News Digital’s Peter D’Abrosca contributed to this report.