WASHINGTON — Former President Barack Obama is accusing President Donald Trump’s administration of weaponizing the federal government against political opponents, but his defense of Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., is renewing scrutiny of controversies involving federal agencies during his own presidency.
Obama publicly defended Omar on Sunday as federal investigators examine allegations involving her immigration history and U.S. citizenship. His remarks followed a court-authorized search of the Minnesota congresswoman’s Washington residence by Homeland Security Investigations agents.
Obama described the administration’s actions as an unacceptable use of government authority against a political critic, warning that Americans should be concerned about the precedent such investigations could establish.
However, the former president’s criticism comes with a historical complication: During his own administration, the Internal Revenue Service acknowledged improperly scrutinizing conservative organizations, while the Justice Department secretly obtained telephone records belonging to Associated Press journalists.
IRS Targeting Scandal Resurfaces
In 2013, a Treasury inspector general’s investigation found that the IRS used inappropriate criteria to identify organizations applying for tax-exempt status.
Groups containing words such as “Tea Party” and “Patriot” were subjected to additional scrutiny, including extensive questionnaires and delays in processing their applications.
The practices began in 2010, during Obama’s first term, and became a major political controversy after the IRS publicly acknowledged the conduct in May 2013.
The scandal raised questions about whether conservative Americans were receiving equal treatment from the federal government because of their political beliefs.
Obama condemned the IRS conduct at the time, describing the findings as unacceptable and calling for accountability. Investigative findings established improper agency practices but did not establish that Obama personally ordered the targeting.
Justice Department Also Faced Scrutiny
The IRS controversy was not the only federal government dispute during Obama’s presidency.
In 2013, the Associated Press revealed that the Justice Department had secretly obtained telephone records covering more than 20 lines used by AP reporters and editors.
The records were collected in connection with an investigation into the disclosure of classified information concerning a disrupted terrorist plot.
The news organization criticized the broad collection of records, and the controversy raised concerns about press freedom and government surveillance.
The Justice Department subsequently revised protections governing investigations involving journalists.
These controversies provide historical context for Obama’s latest criticism, although they do not, by themselves, establish that the current investigation of Omar is justified or politically motivated.
Omar Investigation Remains Underway
Federal investigators are examining whether Omar or her father provided inaccurate information during the immigration and citizenship process decades ago.
Obama maintains that Omar legally acquired citizenship at age 17 through her father’s naturalization and disputes investigators’ reported questions about her age at the time.
Omar has denied wrongdoing and accused the Trump administration of political intimidation. The allegations under investigation have not been established as fact, and the search warrant does not constitute a finding of guilt.
The White House rejected Obama’s accusations.
“Unlike Joe Biden, President Trump has not weaponized the Department of Justice against his political foes,” White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis told Fox News Digital.
Trump has also denied directing the investigation, saying the matter belongs to the Justice Department.
A Question of Political Consistency
Obama’s remarks place the issue of government accountability back at the center of a national political dispute.
The former president argues that government investigators should not pursue individuals merely because they criticize elected officials.
Critics can point to the IRS controversy and the collection of journalists’ telephone records during his administration as reasons to question whether that standard was consistently upheld when he occupied the White House.
At the same time, the historical controversies do not eliminate the government’s obligation to establish a legitimate legal basis for investigating Omar.
The central questions remain whether investigators can substantiate the immigration allegations, whether federal authorities followed proper procedures and whether political considerations influenced the investigation.
For both administrations, the underlying standard is the same: Federal law enforcement must operate within constitutional limits, regardless of the political affiliation of the person under investigation.
The investigation remains ongoing, and no determination of wrongdoing by Omar has been established in the reporting reviewed.
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