From Breitbart: A former Virginia delegate who made headlines in July of 2019 when he interrupted President Donald Trump’s speech is in trouble for fraudulently obtaining a mountain of COVID-19 relief funds that were meant to help business owners stay afloat during the Chinese coronavirus pandemic.
The ex-official accused in the fraud case was identified as 34-year-old Ibraheem Samirah (D-VA), WRIC reported Wednesday. Now, he is facing three years of probation and must pay almost $89,000 in restitution, per his sentencing on October 30.
Video footage shows the moment he had stood up during Trump’s speech to the Virginia General Assembly brandishing a sign that read, “Go Back to Your Corrupted Home,” and “Deport Hate”:
In response to Samirah’s stunt, the crowd started booing, then chanting, “Trump! Trump! Trump!”
Protester interrupts President Trump’s remarks at 400th Anniversary of the Joint Commemorative Session of the Virginia General Assembly.
Full video here: https://t.co/K7ZqevD049 pic.twitter.com/dLQ6M8lIKb
— CSPAN (@cspan) July 30, 2019
BACK STORY: Ibraheem Samirah, now 34, a Muslim, was born in Chicago to Jordanian-Palestinian parents. He has described his father as a community activist in the Muslim community. In 2003 when Samirah was 11, his father was denied re-entry into the United States as a potential national security risk. As a result, the family temporarily moved to Amman, Jordan. His father was later readmitted to the United States in 2014, during the Obama administration. Later, while attending dental school, Samirah was a member of the Students for Justice in Palestine activist group.
PPP LOAN FRAUD SCHEME: The WRIC report explains that, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress made government-guaranteed loans available for qualifying small businesses and business owners through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which were supposed to for specific business-related expenses like payroll costs, rent payments and utility payments.
Court records say Samirah devised and participated in a scheme to defraud the bank through which he obtained money and property by fraudulent means.
According to the allegations, Samirah applied for a PPP loan in May 2020 on behalf of a business at an address, which was his personal residence. He listed himself as the primary contact, and falsely claimed the business had four employees, saying the loan would be used for for payroll, lease/mortgage interest and utilities.
POLITICAL CAREER: Samirah served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates from 2019 to 2022. He lost his re-election race in the Democratic primary in 2021. Following his 2021 defeat, he has unsuccessfully run in three campaigns.
READ MORE from Breitbart.
No party aaffiliation mentioned. Tells you everything doesn’t it?https://t.co/kbehZdvJgk
— The Jeff Katz Show (@jeffkatzshow) November 14, 2025
A former Virginia delegate who made headlines in July of 2019 when he interrupted a speech from @realdonaldtrump is in trouble for fraudulently obtaining a heap of COVID-19 relief funds that were meant to help business owners stay afloat. https://t.co/wpjnOFPQ0U
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) November 13, 2025
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