Stefanik, Cotton call for Trump administration probe into CAIR over ‘potential ties’ to Hamas
Republican lawmakers are urging the Treasury Department to investigate the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) for alleged financial ties to Hamas.
In a letter sent on Tuesday to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York and Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas cited CAIR’s founding, leadership, and past associations as causes for concern.
Republican lawmakers are urging the Treasury Department to investigate the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) for alleged financial ties to Hamas.
In a letter sent on Tuesday to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York and Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas cited CAIR’s founding, leadership, and past associations as causes for concern.
“This pattern of historic ties to Hamas, recent public rhetoric aligned with Hamas narratives, and support for radical activism raises serious questions,” they wrote.
The lawmakers also pointed to CAIR leaders’ previous involvement with the Islamic Association for Palestine and noted that CAIR was named an unindicted co-conspirator in a 2008 terrorism financing case.
In a response statement, CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw rejected the allegations, calling the request “baseless” and driven by “anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian bigotry.”
McCaw also accused Cotton and Stefanik of conducting “witch hunts” against Americans opposing Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and said CAIR has always been “an independent voice that answers to the American people.”
Campus Reform has previously reported about CAIR’s anti-Israel activism concerning college campuses.
In February, the organization designated Stanford University a “hostile campus” for allegedly suppressing pro-Palestine activism.
Announced by CAIR’s San Francisco Bay Area office, the move accused Stanford of punishing protesters and failing to protect international students. The organization said the university’s actions undermined free speech and student activism.
In April, CAIR also filed a motion in federal court to block Columbia University from releasing records on pro-Palestine student activists to a congressional committee.
Filed in the Southern District of New York, the motion argued disclosure could harm anti-Israel demonstrators. CAIR represented several Columbia activists, including one facing possible deportation.
In September 2024, CAIR and Palestine Legal filed a federal lawsuit against the University of Maryland on behalf of its Students for Justice in Palestine chapter. The suit challenged the university’s decision to cancel a planned interfaith vigil on Oct. 7 marking the one-year anniversary of Hamas’ attacks in Israel.
Campus Reform has contacted the Treasury Department for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
