Phantom Winery: Ilhan Omar’s Husband and the $5 Million Valuation Riddle

U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar’s financial disclosures have ignited fresh scrutiny after listing a California winery, eStCru LLC, with a value surging from $15,000-$50,000 in 2023 to $1 million-$5 million in 2024. The asset, tied to her husband Tim Mynett, appears on her May 2025 filing for the prior year, alongside Rose Lake Capital’s jump from $1-$1,000 to $5 million-$25 million. These shifts have prompted calls for probes from President Trump and House Oversight Chairman James Comer, amid allegations of investor fraud linked to the operation.

Mynett, a former political consultant married to Omar since 2020, co-founded eStCru with longtime partner William Hailer. Court records and business filings paint a picture of a venture struggling to produce actual wine. As of February 2024, eStCru held just $650 in its bank account, while Hailer’s related entities had pennies: eSt Ventures at 5 cents, Rose Lake Capital at $42.44, and Rose Lake Inc. at $10. Hailer told the Minnesota Reformer, “ESTCRU LLC like many wineries is living invoice to invoice, sale to sale to stay afloat given the economic conditions of the industry.”

Winemaker Erica Stancliff, who collaborated on labels like ‘Blockchain,’ ‘Overt,’ and ‘The Devil’s Lie,’ departed in early 2023 after unpaid invoices. She described reserves vanishing abruptly to the Reformer. The company’s website, estcru.co, promotes trendy bottles but shows no active sales or operations. Named a ‘hot brand of 2022’ by Wine Business Monthly, eStCru’s physical presence in Santa Rosa remains unverified beyond filings listing Hailer as managing member.

Investor Lawsuit Exposes High-Stakes Promises

In fall 2023, D.C. restaurateur Naeem Mohd sued Mynett and Hailer in California, alleging they pocketed his $300,000 investment with false vows of a 200% return—$900,000—in 18 months, plus 10% monthly interest. Mohd, steered by attorney Faisal Gill—a Mynett ally from Keith Ellison campaigns—wired funds after promises of turning client-provided grapes into profit via Sonoma expertise. Gill donated $1,000 to Omar’s 2021 campaign and told the Rhode Island Current, “I trusted Tim. If it was not for Tim, the deal would never have happened.” Mohd got his principal back a month late, but no profits.

The complaint claims the duo “fraudulently misrepresented … that eStCru, LLC was a legitimate company.” Mynett and Hailer’s response denied wrongdoing, blaming pandemic woes. Their lawyers called fraud suggestions “false and defamatory.” No settlement details emerged publicly, but Hailer defended wine’s upside: “If any investor put $X dollars in to allow the company to purchase grapes and we turned those grapes into bottles of wine that we sold you would see a 3 or 4x return,” per the Reformer.

This echoes broader patterns. South Dakota cannabis growers sued Hailer over eSt Ventures in 2022, claiming he lured $3.54 million with triple-return pledges that fizzled. A $1.7 million settlement left $1.2 million unpaid via confession of judgment, now litigated in Nebraska. Mynett withdrew from such ventures in early 2022, citing “MAGA extremists” harassment.

From Campaign Cash to Venture Pivot

Mynett and Hailer met working for then-Rep. Keith Ellison, co-founding E Street Group in 2018. Omar’s campaigns funneled nearly $3 million there by 2020 for ads and consulting, drawing ethics fire. Omar cut ties post-scrutiny, reporting spousal income of $100,001-$1 million those years. By 2023, eStCru yielded Mynett $201-$1,000; Rose Lake $15,001-$50,000, per her disclosures.

Omar’s office clarified to the Washington Examiner that values reflect full businesses, not Mynett’s shares among “several partners.” She dismissed millionaire claims in a September TikTok as “misleading,” noting $30,002-$100,000 in student/credit card debt. Yet disclosures omit stake percentages, diverging from peers like Reps. Cory Mills or Suzan DelBene.

Benny Johnson highlighted the enigma on X, posting financial excerpts and questioning a non-existent winery’s boom: “No phone line. No physical winery. Social media gone dark. A barely functional ‘website’. No wine lol.” The thread, viewed 1.8 million times, demands Trump-era investigation, tying to Minnesota AG Ellison’s refusal to probe Somali-linked fraud.

Federal Eyes and Political Backlash

Trump posted on Truth Social: DOJ and Congress are “looking at” Omar’s finances, per Daily Caller. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt flagged Minnesota welfare fraud links. Comer eyes subpoenaing Mynett, per New York Post. Fox News detailed Hailer’s trail—from DNC advisor to ventures accused of “stealing and/or misappropriating” funds.

The Fox News report notes Rose Lake scrubbed bios of advisors like ex-Sen. Max Baucus, who called overtures “fishy.” Baucus had one 2022 call on a storage deal that died. Hailer resides in Nebraska amid bankruptcy whispers.

Religious angles surface too. The Jerusalem Post flags wine profits clashing with Omar’s Islamic advocacy, where alcohol is haram. Her office insists no involvement in Mynett’s dealings.

Valuation Surge Defies Operational Reality

How does a near-dormant winery balloon to millions? Disclosures filed May 14, 2025, via House Clerk list eStCru starkly, with no explanatory notes. Quiver Quantitative pegged Omar’s worth at $18.1 million, but experts stress wide bands obscure liquidity. From negative net worth in 2019 to millions, the arc fuels skepticism.

Omar entered Congress with debts; salary alone yields under $1.4 million compounded at 8%, per Minneapolis Times analysis. Campaign funds? FEC cleared E Street payments, but Republicans pushed the OMAR Act against spousal consulting.

As probes loom, eStCru’s fate hangs: IP for sale, site static, no bottles flowing. Insiders await clarity on whether paper gains mask deeper issues—or legitimate turnaround in a cutthroat sector.