A U.S. magistrate judge has ordered the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) to disclose its financial records, which could reveal alleged foreign and terrorism-connected funding sources. This decision followed a defamation lawsuit that CAIR had initially filed against a former employee, Lori Saroya, but subsequently withdrew. Saroya then filed a counter-defamation suit against CAIR, leading to the recent court ruling by U.S. Magistrate Judge David Schultz.
In the original suit, CAIR accused Saroya of suggesting through social media and emails that the organization received funding from terrorist entities. However, CAIR abandoned this legal action amidst concerns that discovery could require them to reveal donor identities. In her suit, Saroya claims CAIR’s motivations were to intimidate her from speaking out, and now the discovery process could require CAIR to provide detailed financial disclosures.
Judge Schultz notes, “The thrust of CAIR’s allegations against Saroya in the 2021 complaint is that Saroya falsely implied CAIR received funding from foreign governments and terrorists when she stated CAIR accepted ‘international funding through their Washington Trust Foundation.’”
The judge acknowledges, “CAIR points to no public admission that it received funding from terrorists or that it received funding through the Washington Trust Foundation. ” However, the judge contends, “discovery into these matters is proportionate to the needs of the case.” Schultz concludes, “CAIR has not shown that the burden or expense of the proposed discovery outweighs its likely benefit or that it unwarrantedly taxes its resources.”
Jeffrey Robbins, Saroya’s legal counsel, described the ruling as a significant legal reversal for CAIR. The organization must present evidence regarding its fundraising practices, including any foreign funds, the management of donor money, and its treatment of employees related to harassment claims.
The National Pulse previously reported the Biden-Harris government was forced to distance itself from CAIR after its executive director, Nihad Awad, defended Hamas’s October 7 terrorist attacks against Israel. Awad wrote in social media posts following the deadly attacks that Palestinians have a “right to self-defense,” insinuating the acts of terrorism were justified. Additionally, Awad asserted that Israel is an “occupying power” and does not enjoy a similar right.
