El-Sayed Took $115K From CAIR-Linked Donors

Abdul El-Sayed built his campaign around getting “money out of politics.”

A new review says more than $115,000 of his money came from people inside CAIR’s orbit.

At least 41 individuals who work for, formerly worked for, or held leadership positions with the Council on American-Islamic Relations donated to the Michigan Democratic Senate nominee, according to a Fox News Digital review of Federal Election Commission records.

The donations came from current and former officials associated with CAIR’s national organization and chapters in California, Arizona, Texas, Georgia, Washington, Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio and Michigan.

The donor list reportedly includes CAIR national Board Chair Manal Fakhoury, Treasurer Eyas Abdeen and Vice Chair Emad Sabbah.

It also includes CAIR-Michigan board member Jukaku Tayeb, El-Sayed’s father-in-law and a leading financial supporter of the super PAC backing his campaign.

The Washington Free Beacon reported that Tayeb was part of the founding committee of the Islamic Society of North America, which the outlet described as having links to Hamas and Muslim Brotherhood funding.

Another donor identified in the FEC review was CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad, reportedly listed in campaign records under the name Nehad Hammad.

Awad drew widespread condemnation after saying he was “happy” to see Hamas break out of Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023. He also argued that Israel, as an occupying power, “does not have the right to self-defense.”

Other reported donors included CAIR-Michigan board member Muzammil Ahmed, who contributed $11,600, as well as CAIR-California officials Rubina Alvi, Asaad Traina, Atef Ibrahim and Dina Ezzeddine.

Former CAIR national Board Chair Roula Allouch was also identified.

CAIR has faced years of controversy over alleged connections to Hamas. Federal prosecutors named the organization as an unindicted co-conspirator in the 2007 Holy Land Foundation terrorism-financing case.

The United Arab Emirates has designated CAIR a terrorist organization.

Florida and Texas have also taken state-level action formally designating or labeling the organization as such.

El-Sayed’s connections to CAIR extend beyond campaign donations.

In 2022, he appeared at a CAIR event for a paid speaking engagement, according to the Washington Free Beacon. During that appearance, he reportedly criticized Oklahoma’s prohibition on Sharia law and compared it with the Trail of Tears.

El-Sayed, an epidemiologist and former Wayne County health director, defeated establishment-backed Rep. Haley Stevens in Tuesday’s Democratic primary. He will face former GOP Rep. Mike Rogers for the seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Gary Peters.

The contest is expected to help determine control of the narrowly divided Senate.

Rogers has already made El-Sayed’s political associations a centerpiece of his campaign, accusing the democratic socialist of representing an extremist movement rather than Michigan’s political mainstream.

The latest campaign-finance review gives Rogers a number, a list of names and a national network to put behind that attack.

More over at The New York Post:

Far-left Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed took over $115K from members of alleged Hamas-linked group: report https://t.co/gR7RxQxgDJ pic.twitter.com/YFpjyt5LXO

— New York Post (@nypost) August 5, 2026