Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D) admitted she may have embellished some facts during a recent speech to high school students where she recalled a story about racism in the justice system.
The Washington Post reports that Omar was speaking to Richfield High School students when she told a story about her time as a Minneapolis councilwoman:
“…she recalled encountering a ‘sweet, old . . . African American lady’ who had been arrested for stealing a $2 loaf of bread to feed her ‘starving 5-year-old granddaughter.’
After spending the weekend in jail, the woman was led into the courtroom and fined $80 — a penalty she couldn’t pay. ‘I couldn’t control my emotions,’ Omar continued, ‘because I couldn’t understand how a roomful of educated adults could do something so unjust.’
‘Bulls—!’ she recalled yelling in the courtroom.”
However, the paper notes, that Omar likely “flubbed some facts:”
Omar’s story echoed the plot of “Les Miserables.” If true, it is also probably embellished. City officials said that police aren’t allowed to arrest people for shoplifting unless there’s a likelihood of violence or further crime. Typically, shoplifters are sentenced to attend a three-hour class.
In an interview, Omar said she may have flubbed some facts. “She might have had a prior [arrest],” Omar said. “I’m not sure. . . . The details might not have all matched, but that’s what I remember.”
