Writing about my quarrel with Sheryl Gay Stolberg’s 2018 New York Times profile of Ilhan Omar, I incorrectly stated that Ms. Stolberg failed to respond to my inquiries about her story in writing. She did. However, she asked me to keep her response off the record. She was a gracious and friendly correspondent. She also took my phone call as I stated in the linked post.
I didn’t think to search the archive of my gmail account. Now that I have, I want to correct the record.
Ms. Stolberg originally asked to interview me. I responded that I would be more comfortable taking her questions in writing and responding. She then wrote me:
Hi Scott.
A few food for thought questions.
1. What sparked your interest in her?
2. Can you sum up your issues with her? Why are you pursuing her so vigorously?
3. Why is she a “fraught subject in the Twin Cities”?Sheryl Gay Stolberg
Congressional Correspondent
The New York Times — Washington D.C.
In my response to her request for an interview, I had stated that Omar was “a fraught subject in the Twin Cities.” That accounts for question 3. I responded in an email dated December 17, 2018:
Thanks, Sheryl. I think these are good and straightforward questions. This is what I have to say.
1. My interest in Ilhan Omar was sparked by her defeating Minnesota state representative Phyllis Kahn in the 2016 DFL primary. Rep. Kahn was a 22-term incumbent and legendary pillar of the “progressive” left in Minnesota. I thought Omar’s victory signified the increasing demographic transformation of the Twin Cities by Somali immigration. That is what interested me.
The Star Tribune hailed Omar’s victory in a kind of “Dewey defeats Truman” headline. They seemed to think it was an earth shattering kaboom. That attracted my attention too.
After writing about Omar’s victory consistent with what I say above, I got a message and related information suggesting that Omar was married to two men, one of whom was her brother. When I inquired about the information at Omar’s campaign, I received a non-responsive accusation of anti-Islamic bigotry and so on from a criminal defense lawyer with whom I was familiar from covering the terrorism case brought here against the “Minnesota men.” That really piqued my interest. I tell the rest of the story in the City Journal column “The curious case of Ilhan Omar,” which includes my correspondence with the criminal defense lawyer who responded on Omar’s behalf.
2. I am trying to do the job that the Star Tribune refuses to do. I am appalled by the disparate treatment (i.e., free pass) that is accorded an empty vessel of identity politics such as Omar. If she were a conservative or a Republican, for example, the Star Tribune would have pursued the issues implicit in her marriage to ex-husband Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, for example, rather than letting them come to rest with the statements she has issued.
When it comes to Israel (and Christianity—see her tweet last week on Mike Pence), Omar herself is in my view a bigot of the first order. She obscured her support for BDS before a largely Jewish audience at Beth El Synagogue [in Minneapolis] during the competitive [2018] DFL primary. Even though there are many voters in her district interested in the issue of Israel, the Star Tribune let her skate by her past (and now reiterated) statements to the effect that Israel is an “apartheid regime.” I am appalled by the Star Tribune’s nonfeasance in covering the congressional campaign in its front yard in advance of the competitive DFL congressional primary election — the real election in an essentially one-party district. The Star Tribune failed its core Minneapolis readers in this case.
3. The default response of Omar and her allies to critical comments and questions is the imputation of bigotry. See, e.g., my correspondence with Omar’s lawyer in the City Journal column “The curious case of Ilhan Omar.”
I am Jewish. I hate bigotry. I hate false accusations of bigotry used as a pretext for political purposes to inhibit inquiry. That is nevertheless the thicket one enters when trying to deal honestly with Omar. A lifelong resident of the Twin Cities, I care about my good name and reputation in the community.
Scott Johnson
I want only to add that this correspondence was obviously not off the record and that I regret my erroneous statement that Ms. Stolberg did not reponsd to my email questions regarding her story. She did.
