In a glaring display of political hypocrisy, Michigan Democrat Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, who has loudly campaigned on getting "money out of politics," has quietly accepted over $115,000 from individuals deeply embedded in the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) – an organization designated as a terrorist group by the United Arab Emirates and formally flagged by both Florida and Texas.
A Fox News Digital investigation revealed that at least 41 individuals, currently or formerly associated with CAIR leadership or staff, have poured donations into El-Sayed’s campaign coffers. This isn't just a handful of rogue donors; the list includes national Board Chair Manal Fakhoury, national Board Treasurer Eyas Abdeen, and national Vice Chair Emad Sabbah, signaling a coordinated effort.
Perhaps most troubling, El-Sayed's own father-in-law, Jukaku Tayeb, a CAIR-Michigan board member, stands as a significant financial backer of the super PAC supporting El-Sayed. Tayeb is also a founding committee member of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), a group linked to Hamas and Muslim Brotherhood funding, as previously reported.
Among the most controversial donors is CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad, identified in FEC records under the name Nehad Hammad. Awad notoriously declared he was "happy" to see Hamas break out of Gaza on October 7, 2023, and audaciously claimed Israel "does not have the right to self-defense" as an occupying power. That such an individual is funding a prospective U.S. Senator should send shivers down the spine of every American concerned with national security.
The financial tentacles of CAIR-affiliated individuals reached far beyond Michigan, with donations flowing from national leaders and officials tied to chapters across California, Arizona, Texas, Georgia, Washington, Illinois, Minnesota, and Ohio. This illustrates a broad network of support for El-Sayed from within an organization plagued by serious questions about its true agenda.
El-Sayed's connections to CAIR extend beyond mere fundraising. In 2022, he participated in a CAIR event, receiving payment for a speaking engagement where he attacked Oklahoma's ban on Sharia law, shockingly comparing it to the Trail of Tears. This kind of rhetoric, downplaying the severe implications of Sharia law and aligning with a group facing terror allegations, reveals a deeply troubling worldview.
CAIR's history is steeped in controversy. In 2007, federal prosecutors explicitly named the organization an unindicted co-conspirator in the Holy Land Foundation terrorism financing case, which remains the largest prosecution of its kind in U.S. history. While CAIR was not charged, federal prosecutors asserted the organization was part of a network established to funnel support to Hamas within the United States. CAIR has consistently denied these allegations and challenged its inclusion in the case, yet the designation by the UAE in 2014, stemming from its perceived ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, along with formal designations in Florida and Texas, speaks volumes.
In response to inquiries, CAIR offered its standard denials, referencing webpages and statements where it claims to condemn antisemitism and terrorist attacks. But for many, these carefully worded responses do little to dispel the profound concerns raised by their historical actions and leadership’s public statements.
El-Sayed himself has a pattern of associations and comments that raise red flags for patriots and pro-Israel advocates alike. From campaigning with far-left streamer Hasan Piker to his controversial response to an attack on a Detroit synagogue, and his perplexing refusal to comment on the death of Iran's supreme leader – citing constituents "mourning" – a clear pattern emerges.
After a closer-than-expected Democratic primary victory over Rep. Haley Stevens, Abdul El-Sayed now prepares to face Republican Mike Rogers in November. Michigan voters deserve to know exactly who is funding their candidates and what ideologies they truly represent. This extensive financial entanglement with CAIR-affiliated individuals is not merely a campaign finance story; it is a critical warning about the direction some within the Democratic Party are pushing American politics – away from transparency, away from common sense, and dangerously close to those who harbor ill will against American values and our allies abroad. America First principles demand accountability, and this revelation demands answers.
