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E Street Group

Type:

Political Consulting Firm

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The E Street Group is a left-of-center political consulting firm which focuses on communications and data-driven campaigns for progressive candidates. 1 The E Street Group was relatively obscure until one of its partners, Tim Mynett, became involved in a public divorce scandal involving an alleged affair with U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN).

Very little can be found on public record about the E Street Group. As of February 2020, the organization’s Facebook page consisted of a single text post from April 4, 2019 and notations of changes to the group’s address and logo.2 The company’s website consisted of a single landing page, and the company is only accepting new clients by referral. 3

In addition to Omar, Federal Election Commission records show that the campaigns of Rep. Debra Haaland, Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX), and Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and the Democratic National Committee have paid E Street Group for various services. 4

Ilhan Omar Controversy

The E Street Group first drew national attention when Tim Mynett, one of the firm’s partners, was accused by his wife in official divorce proceedings of having an affair with married Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), one of the E Street Group’s clients, in August 2019. Mynett’s wife alleged that Tim has claimed that his business, the E Street Group, is “floundering” and that he is “nearly broke.” 5

The E Street Group has been heavily involved with Omar’s campaign. As of August 2019, the E Street Group had received over $230,000 from the Omar campaign, most of which was exchanged after Omar had already won her hotly contested primary, even though she faced a noncompetitive general election. 6 The E Street Group received more money from the Omar campaign than any other organization aside from the Minnesota Democratic Party, accounting for 10% of all campaign spending between September and December of 2018. 7 As of August 2019, the Omar campaign had spent $160,000 at E Street’s services, nearly one in every three dollars spent by her campaign, excluding taxes and transfers to the Democratic Party. 8

In August 2019 the conservative National Legal and Policy Center filed a Federal Election Commission complaint against Omar. The complaint alleges that the money paid to E Street went to fund Mynett’s personal travel expenses related to their affair, rather than to political consulting services, which would constitute a violation of FEC rules. 9 Between April 22 and June 11, the Omar campaign transferred 14 payments totaling $70,000 to the E Street Group. 10 Six of the payments totaling $12,673.43 were labeled simply as “travel expenses,” which must be itemized according to FEC policy. 11 Mynett’s estranged wife has questioned whether the payments made for “travel” to E Street Group were used for private travel, rather than legitimate campaign work. 12

Thus far, the firm has categorically denied all allegations of improper uses of funds paid to it by the Omar campaign. The E Street Group recently released a statement which declared that the company had raised more than $2.3 million on behalf of Omar’s reelection campaign in the first eight months of 2019. 13 14

Other Campaigns

E Street Group provides services to a handful of Democratic candidates and committees. In addition to Rep. Ilhan Omar, the campaigns of Rep. Debra Haaland, Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX), and Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) have all reported paying E Street Group for services. The Democratic National Committee and the Committee for a Livable Future (a leadership PAC associated with Rep. Blumenauer15) also reported paying E Street. 16

References

  1. “E Street Group: Progressive Consultants.” E Street Group. Accessed September 9, 2019. https://www.estreetgroup.com/.
  2. “E Street Group.” Facebook. Accessed February 10, 2020. https://www.facebook.com/eStreetGroup/
  3. “E Street Group: Progressive Consultants.” E Street Group. Accessed February 10, 2020. https://www.estreetgroup.com/.
  4. “Browse Disbursements: E Street Group.” FEC.gov, September 11, 2019. https://www.fec.gov/data/disbursements/?recipient_name=e+street+group&data_type=processed.
  5. Marsh, Julia. “Ilhan Omar Stole My Husband, DC Mom Claims in Divorce Papers.” New York Post. New York Post, August 28, 2019. https://nypost.com/2019/08/27/my-husband-dumped-me-for-rep-ilhan-omar-dc-mom-says-in-divorce-filing/.
  6. Lowe, Tiana. “Nearly One of Every Three Dollars Spent on Ilhan Omar’s Campaign Has Gone to Her Alleged Lover’s Firm.” Washington Examiner, August 28, 2019. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/nearly-one-of-every-three-dollars-spent-on-ilhan-omars-campaign-have-gone-to-her-alleged-lovers-firm.
  7. Lowe, Tiana. “Nearly One of Every Three Dollars Spent on Ilhan Omar’s Campaign Has Gone to Her Alleged Lover’s Firm.” Washington Examiner, August 28, 2019. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/nearly-one-of-every-three-dollars-spent-on-ilhan-omars-campaign-have-gone-to-her-alleged-lovers-firm.
  8. Lowe, Tiana. “Nearly One of Every Three Dollars Spent on Ilhan Omar’s Campaign Has Gone to Her Alleged Lover’s Firm.” Washington Examiner, August 28, 2019. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/nearly-one-of-every-three-dollars-spent-on-ilhan-omars-campaign-have-gone-to-her-alleged-lovers-firm.
  9. Hayes, Christal. “Group Files FEC Complaint against Ilhan Omar as She Denies Latest Accusation about Her Personal Life.” USA Today. Gannett Satellite Information Network, August 30, 2019. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/08/29/rep-ilhan-omar-denies-accusations-her-personal-life/2145717001/.
  10. Schwab, Nikki. “Ilhan Omar Should Be Probed over Payments to ‘Lover’: Watchdog Group.” New York Post. New York Post, August 27, 2019. https://nypost.com/2019/08/27/fec-should-probe-rep-ilhan-omars-payments-to-lover-watchdog-group/.
  11. Schwab, Nikki. “Ilhan Omar Should Be Probed over Payments to ‘Lover’: Watchdog Group.” New York Post.

    New York Post, August 27, 2019. https://nypost.com/2019/08/27/fec-should-probe-rep-ilhan-omars-payments-to-lover-watchdog-group/.

  12. Schwab, Nikki. “Ilhan Omar Should Be Probed over Payments to ‘Lover’: Watchdog Group.” New York Post. New York Post, August 27, 2019. https://nypost.com/2019/08/27/fec-should-probe-rep-ilhan-omars-payments-to-lover-watchdog-group/.
  13. Zolfaghari, Mitra. “At Issue: Duffy Resigns, Omar Accused and the next Step in the Democratic Presidential Race.” KSTP. KSTP, September 1, 2019. https://kstp.com/politics/at-issue-sunday-september-1-2019-duffy-resigns-omar-affair-democratic-primary-debates/5477323/.
  14. Schwab, Nikki. “Ilhan Omar Should Be Probed over Payments to ‘Lover’: Watchdog Group.” New York Post. New York Post, August 27, 2019. https://nypost.com/2019/08/27/fec-should-probe-rep-ilhan-omars-payments-to-lover-watchdog-group/.
  15. “Committee for a Livable Future Summary.” OpenSecrets.org, September 11, 2019. https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?cycle=2020&strID=C00323352.
  16. “Browse Disbursements: E Street Group.” FEC.gov, September 11, 2019. https://www.fec.gov/data/disbursements/?recipient_name=e+street+group&data_type=processed
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