Fact Check: Did Elon Musk send Nick Shirley a report on Ilhan Omar’s offshore account?
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: A rumor has been circulating on social media platforms claiming that Elon Musk sent a report to citizen journalist Nick Shirley, alleging that Rep Ilhan Omar deposited cash into an offshore account earned through scamming, sparking criticism.
Let us analyse the origins of the viral claim and fact-check it.
Claim: Elon Musk sent a DODGE report about Ilhan Omar to Nick Shirley
According to the viral claim, Nick Shirley found an unlikely link in a report sent to him by Elon Musk during his investigation into the Minnesota Fraud Case.
"Elon sent a DOGE report that shows Ilhan Omar depositing a huge sum of cash in an offshore account the day after the Somalis who were scamming the system cashed a $4 million check," Shirley allegedly said on his podcast, according to the post. "When he starts back up this summer, he's asked me to join him."
The claim has spread on Facebook and X, garnering hundreds of thousands of views, with many believing it to be authentic and sparking criticism against the Minnesota congresswoman.
Fact Check: No credible evidence to support the claim
However, there are no credible reports or evidence suggesting that the Tesla CEO sent a report to Shirley. There is also no evidence that Ilhan Omar deposited a large sum of cash into an offshore account.
A Google search yielded no relevant results from credible news outlets supporting the claim, which, if true, would have sparked widespread debate and reporting.
Moreover, the Facebook post that made the claim included a small disclaimer in the bottom right corner that says ‘Satire.’
The page that posted the claim describes itself in its bio as ‘Nothing on this page is real,’ suggesting that the post is intended as parody for engagement.
Ilhan Omar hits back at Elon Musk over 'Somali voter' claim
Earlier this year, Omar fired back at Elon Musk after the tech billionaire suggested she continues to win reelection because of Somali voters in her district, accusing him of peddling conspiracy theories untethered from basic facts.
Musk replied to a post alleging that undocumented immigrants are being deliberately encouraged to enter the US.
“How is this not treason?” the original post asked.
“This has been happening for years,” Musk responded. “Ilhan Omar is the most obvious example. A large number of relatively recently arrived Somalis will elect only a Somali to Congress in that Minnesota district. This is much more subtle, but just as bad, in many other parts of America.”
Within hours, Omar responded directly to Musk on X, rejecting his claim outright.
