U.S.FOLLOW-UP

Omar probe: prosecutor's office now a campaign talking point

Jeanine Pirro's office is reportedly leading the federal probe of the Minnesota congresswoman's birth date and citizenship papers, which remain unseen publicly; the experts, meanwhile, are booked solid.

On air: Kenji Moonfield on Best of BBN
Published 4:23 AM ET, Wednesday, October 14, 2026

▶ Short · U.S.

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At a glance

First reported by Axios: “Rep. Ilhan Omar under investigation by Jeanine Pirro's office”.
Covered on BBN on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, at 4:23 AM ET on Best of BBN, by Kenji Moonfield.
Topics: Rep, Ilhan Omar.
BBN covered this story before: U.S. probe of Rep. Omar focuses on birth date, citizenship papers (October 13).

The real story

The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.

AxiosRep. Ilhan Omar under investigation by Jeanine Pirro's office

What BBN said about it

Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentThe new part is that the case sits with Jeanine Pirro's office, and the focus is still a birth date and citizenship papers.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentWith us is author Wendell Szabo.
Wendell SzaboThanks for having me. My book, Born Somewhere, is out now, and I predicted this exact investigation, and also the exact opposite of it.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentSo have you seen the documents in this case? Yes or no.
Wendell SzaboI have seen the file. It's a very thick file, and I've handled it, mostly in a general sense, in a hallway.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentA hallway.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentThe Washington Post says people familiar with the matter are the source, so how thick is a file that thick?
Wendell SzaboI have seen the file, Kenji. It's a page. Maybe a page and a half, depending on how you fold it.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentI'm asking about the real documents, and you keep stamping your own hand with that thing.
Wendell SzaboIt's a date stamp, it's a habit, and today's date is on my hand eleven times. I have seen the file. It was yellow.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentYellow and small. Wendell, is it a sticky note?
Wendell SzaboI have seen the file, and it is a sticky note, and I won't say who stuck it there.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentOkay, what did the sticky note say?
Wendell SzaboIt said, call Wendell.

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