Democrat Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed’s campaign has received significant financial support from individuals tied to CAIR, a group scrutinized for alleged ties to Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood.
| PULSE POINTS |
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Michigan Democrat U.S. Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed received more than $115,000 in campaign contributions from at least 41 current or former officials and leaders affiliated with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), according to a review of federal campaign finance records. The donors included members of CAIR’s national leadership and state chapters across the country, including El-Sayed’s father-in-law, Jukaku Tayeb, a CAIR-Michigan board member and reported supporter of a super PAC backing his campaign. 📺 DETAIL: El-Sayed has also appeared at CAIR events and was paid for a 2022 speaking engagement where he criticized Oklahoma’s ban on Sharia law, according to reports. CAIR, which describes itself as a Muslim civil rights organization, denies having ties to Hamas, terrorism, or the Muslim Brotherhood, but the group has faced longstanding scrutiny after being named an unindicted co-conspirator in a Holy Land Foundation terrorism financing case in 2007, while a federal court said there was “ample evidence” linking it to Hamas. Several CAIR officials have also drawn criticism for statements following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, including Executive Director Nihad Awad, whose remarks prompted the former Biden regime to end the group’s participation in its national anti-Semitism strategy initiative. Separately, the Department of Health and Human Services is investigating approximately $30 million in federal refugee resettlement funding awarded to CAIR affiliates in California and Washington, citing concerns about the organization’s business practices and potential connections to the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas, allegations CAIR disputes. 🎯 IMPACT: The financial and ideological ties between El-Sayed and CAIR raise questions about his candidacy, given CAIR’s controversial history and alleged links to terrorist organizations. This could become a focal point in the Michigan Senate race as voters scrutinize the influence of such organizations on political candidates. 📺 FLASHBACK: Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) designated the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist and transnational criminal organizations in 2025. |
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