Castor Joins 40 Democrats Who Decline to Sign Letter on Omar Raid

Kathy Castor did not sign the letter.

The Tampa Bay Democrat was one of 40 House members who declined to join a group of 175 colleagues in condemning the federal investigation into Rep. Ilhan Omar. The letter, sent on Oct. 26, targeted the Oct. 12 raid on Omar’s Washington, D.C. home.

The document addressed Attorney General Todd Blanche and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. It described the raid as a weaponization of federal law enforcement. The signatories demanded the administration avoid actions that could influence upcoming elections.

“We write to express our unequivocal opposition to your raid of Congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s home,” the letter stated. “We are profoundly alarmed by your weaponization of federal law enforcement against her and demand you refrain from taking any further actions that could affect the outcome of any upcoming election.”

According to The New York Times, the inquiry focuses on Omar’s 2009 marriage to Ahmed Nur Said Elmi. Officials are examining whether the marriage was intended to help him obtain a green card. The accusation was widely debunked during Omar’s first elected office run in 2016.

Castor is not the only Florida representative who skipped the letter. Darren Soto from District 9 and Jared Moskowitz from District 23 also did not sign. It is unclear why Castor abstained. Her campaign did not respond to an outreach request for comment.

Castor, who faces Republican Michael Beltran in Congressional District 14, has a history of distancing herself from the party's progressive wing. Last September, she joined Republicans in a bill condemning Democratic Socialism. In a debate on WMNF radio earlier this month, she reaffirmed that stance. “I reject socialism,” Castor said. “And you’re right. I crossed the aisle not too long ago to condemn it in all of its forms. Too many of our neighbors across the Tampa Bay area fled socialism and authoritarianism, and I’ve listened very closely to their stories.”