Democratic Operative Under Scrutiny as Congressional Probe Examines Omar’s Financial Disclosures

A veteran Democratic strategist with ties to prominent party figures is facing renewed scrutiny as Congress investigates the rapidly increasing net worth of Representative Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) through companies connected to her husband, Tim Mynett.

William Hailer, who previously worked alongside Mynett under then-Congressman Keith Ellison (now Minnesota Attorney General), has a history of high-profile Democratic connections. Federal Election Commission filings show Hailer received over $250,000 in consulting fees and reimbursements while advising both the Democratic National Committee and Ellison, who served as DNC co-chair.

The business relationship between Hailer and Mynett began with the political consulting firm E Street Group, which collected nearly $3 million from Omar’s House campaigns. The pair subsequently co-founded several ventures, including Rose Lake Capital LLC, a venture capital firm, and eStCru, a wine company.

These business ventures have left a trail of allegations. Court documents reveal that cannabis investors in South Dakota accused Hailer and Mynett of soliciting approximately $3.5 million with promises of securing additional major investments that never materialized. While the dispute was eventually settled “amicably” with investors receiving their money back, local media raised questions about how Hailer managed to return the funds when discovery documents reportedly showed less than $750 across his various accounts.

Similar allegations emerged regarding the pair’s California wine business, eStCru. A D.C.-area restaurant owner claimed he invested $300,000 after being promised 200% returns within 18 months and 10% monthly interest payments in the interim. The investor alleged these promises were never fulfilled and that he was pressured into signing an agreement preventing further legal action.

Of particular interest to congressional investigators is the dramatic increase in valuation of companies associated with Omar’s husband. Financial disclosures show eStCru jumped from between $15,000-$50,000 in 2023 to between $1 million-$5 million in 2024. Even more striking, Rose Lake Capital, listed as being worth between $1-$1,000 in 2023, skyrocketed to between $5 million-$25 million the following year.

Rose Lake Capital also faced criticism for misrepresentation after listing high-profile “advisors” on its website without proper authorization. Former Senator Max Baucus (D-Mont.) told The New York Post he had only a single phone call with Hailer in 2022 regarding a potential storage unit deal that “sounded a little bit fishy” and never progressed. Baucus added that no one cleared with him the use of his name as an advisor on the company’s website.

A Rose Lake spokesperson defended removing names from the website, citing “hate-filled messages” and accused Baucus of making “false” statements to media outlets.

The current scrutiny follows earlier controversy from the 2019-2020 election cycle when Omar directed millions in campaign funds to E Street Group, the firm co-founded by Mynett and Hailer. While not illegal, these payments prompted Republicans in Congress to introduce the “OMAR Act” (Oversight for Members And Relatives Act), aimed at closing what they described as a loophole in federal anti-nepotism laws.

This renewed focus on Omar and her husband comes amid a broader investigation into alleged fraud schemes in Minnesota involving social services and welfare programs that some estimates suggest could amount to as much as $9 billion in misappropriated funds.

Both congressional and federal investigators are now examining the dramatic valuation increases in Hailer and Mynett’s business ventures, which coincide with Omar’s reported rise in net worth through her husband’s companies, according to her financial disclosures.