Naveed
Tim Mynett, the Democratic political consultant who founded E Street Group, converted to Islam shortly before marrying U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) in March 2020, according to a statement Omar’s spokesman gave the BBC. The conversion followed a public and messy split from his first wife, who alleged in divorce filings that he left her for Omar. Here’s what’s actually been reported about Mynett’s faith — and what hasn’t.
| Current Religion | Islam (converted before marriage) |
| Converted | Reportedly shortly before March 2020, per Omar spokesman |
| Confirmed By | Omar spokesman Jeremy Slevin, via BBC News |
| Spouse | U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), married March 2020 |
| Career | Founder, E Street Group (2018); previously Mynett Media |
Who Is Tim Mynett?
Tim Mynett is a Democratic political fundraiser who co-founded the D.C.-based firm E Street Group in 2018 alongside longtime associate Will Hailer. One of the firm’s first clients was Ilhan Omar’s 2018 congressional campaign, which paid Mynett and E Street Group roughly $222,000 between 2018 and 2019 for fundraising and digital advertising, according to Washington Free Beacon reporting on campaign-finance filings.
In August 2019, Mynett’s then-wife, Beth Jordan Mynett, filed for divorce and alleged in court papers — reported by BuzzFeed News and NBC News — that he told her he was “romantically involved with and in love with” Omar. Mynett, in a counterclaim covered by CBS News, acknowledged telling his wife his “heart was no longer in the marriage” but denied a physical relationship with Omar. Both divorces were finalized, and Omar and Mynett married in March 2020, which she announced on Instagram.
His Conversion to Islam Before Marrying Ilhan Omar
After the marriage was announced, some critics questioned how Omar, a practicing Sunni Muslim, could marry a man who was not Muslim, since traditional Islamic law generally does not permit a Muslim woman to marry a non-Muslim man. In response, Omar’s spokesman, Jeremy Slevin, told BBC News that Mynett had converted to Islam and that the couple were married “Islamically and legally.”
That statement from Slevin remains the primary on-the-record confirmation of Mynett’s conversion. Slevin reportedly declined to say what Islamic name Mynett had taken or precisely when the conversion occurred, meaning the exact date and details of the process have not been made public. Mynett himself has not issued his own public statement describing his conversion or beliefs.
What’s Not Publicly Known
Mynett’s religious background before his reported conversion has not been documented by any news outlet. He has spoken on his personal X account about being raised by parents he described as “conservative Republicans” from a family with a “long line of proud American veterans,” but did not identify any specific childhood faith in that post.
No outlet has published the date of Mynett’s conversion, the name of any mosque or imam involved, or details of his current religious practice. Everything beyond “he converted to Islam before marrying Omar, and they married Islamically and legally” is either unconfirmed or has been withheld by Omar’s office, per the BBC’s reporting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Tim Mynett convert to Islam before marrying Ilhan Omar?
Yes. Omar’s spokesman, Jeremy Slevin, told BBC News that Mynett converted to Islam and that he and Omar married “Islamically and legally” in March 2020.
What religion was Tim Mynett before he converted?
This isn’t publicly documented. Mynett has described his parents as conservative Republicans but hasn’t named a childhood faith, and no news organization has reported his pre-conversion religion.
