Staff Reports
Democratic Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar is under scrutiny for allegedly violating House rules through her use of TikTok. The Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT) filed a complaint to the Office of Congressional Ethics on Thursday accusing Omar of using her TikTok account for House and political purposes. Omar’s TikTok content includes several campaign videos urging her followers to support Democratic candidates and official government footage from C-SPAN and an interview from her House office, which FACT argues are clear violations of federal law and House ethics rules.
Watchdog Group Requests Ethics Investigation Into Ilhan Omar’s TikTok Usage https://t.co/3AkVQ2lY6q
— US Burning (@UsBurning) March 30, 2023
These rules prohibit members of Congress from using official resources, like government buildings and official social media, for political purposes. Disturbingly, Omar’s TikTok account identifies her as a congresswoman from Minnesota while campaigning for Democrats by posting campaign content. FACT Executive Director Kendra Arnold is outraged by Omar’s actions and explains that these rules aim to protect the time, resources, and integrity of official proceedings for those holding elected office.
Four member of the "Squad" in Congress, Cori Bush, Jamaal Bowman, Ilhan Omar, and Rashida Tlaib, have over 453,000 followers on China's Tiktok.
Combined they've posted 372 videos on the app, which Biden is now weighing banning over national security concerns. pic.twitter.com/FM7OysQUth
— Gabe Kaminsky (@gekaminsky) March 24, 2023
TikTok is currently the most popular social media platform among young Americans, with the app being used on average for 107 minutes per day. A recent Congressional hearing scrutinized TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, for their alleged ties to the Chinese Communist Party and accessing American user data. However, progressive Democrats like Rep. Jamaal Bowman of New York defend the app, arguing that banning it would alienate young voters. Bowman and Omar are both members of “The Squad,” a group of progressive Democratic lawmakers with large social media followings.
Ilhan Omar’s office has not yet commented on the matter, but FACT is urging the OCE to investigate the alleged violations. Omar’s actions demonstrate a lack of respect for federal law and House ethics rules, and it is vital that she be held accountable for her actions.
