Michigan Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed received more than $115,000 from dozens of donors connected to the Council on American-Islamic Relations, according to a Fox News Digital review of federal campaign-finance records.
The review identified at least 41 contributors who currently work for CAIR, previously worked for the organization or have served in leadership positions with the group. El-Sayed has made opposition to big money in politics a central theme of his campaign, describing his primary victory as a triumph of “the many against the money.”
The donors included several senior CAIR officials, among them national Board Chair Manal Fakhoury, national Board Treasurer Eyas Abdeen and national Vice Chair Emad Sabbah, according to Fox News.
CAIR-Michigan board member Jukaku Tayeb, El-Sayed’s father-in-law, also contributed. Tayeb has been one of the largest financial supporters of a super PAC backing El-Sayed and served on the founding committee of the Islamic Society of North America, according to previous reporting by the Washington Free Beacon.
Other contributors identified in the review included CAIR-California Governance Board Chair Asaad Traina, board Treasurer Rubina Alvi, board members Atef Ibrahim and Dina Ezzeddine, former CAIR national Board Chair Roula Allouch and CAIR-Michigan board member Muzammil Ahmed. Ahmed contributed a reported $11,600 to El-Sayed’s campaign.
The donations came from CAIR officials and affiliates in Michigan, California, Arizona, Texas, Georgia, Washington, Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio and other states, suggesting that support for El-Sayed extended across the organization’s national network.
One contributor was CAIR national Executive Director Nihad Awad, who appeared in Federal Election Commission records under the name Nehad Hammad.
Awad faced condemnation in 2023 after saying he was “happy” to see Palestinians break through the Gaza barrier on Oct. 7 and arguing that Israel “does not have the right to self-defense” as an occupying power. Awad later said he was referring to Palestinian civilians who crossed the barrier without attacking anyone and emphasized that he condemned violence against civilians.
El-Sayed’s relationship with CAIR extends beyond campaign donations. He delivered a paid speech at a CAIR-Oklahoma event in 2022, where he compared the state’s attempted prohibition on the use of Sharia law to the Trail of Tears.
“You can’t understand a Sharia ban without understanding the Trail of Tears,” El-Sayed said during the appearance, according to the Washington Free Beacon.
CAIR has faced decades of scrutiny over alleged connections to Hamas. Federal prosecutors named the organization as an unindicted co-conspirator during the 2007 Holy Land Foundation terrorism-financing case. The foundation and five of its leaders were later convicted of providing material support to Hamas.
CAIR was never charged in the case and has repeatedly denied supporting Hamas or any other terrorist organization.
The United Arab Emirates placed CAIR on its terrorism list in 2014. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott designated CAIR a foreign terrorist and transnational criminal organization in November 2025, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued a similar state order the following month. The federal government has not designated CAIR as a foreign terrorist organization.
CAIR rejected the allegations in response to the Fox News inquiry. The organization cited its public record of condemning antisemitism, the killing of civilians and terrorism committed by Hamas and other organizations.
“We unequivocally condemn all acts of terrorism, whether carried out by al-Qa’ida, the Real IRA, FARC, Hamas, ETA, or any other group designated by the US Department of State as a ‘Foreign Terrorist Organization,’” a statement published on CAIR’s website says.
The former Wayne County health director has faced additional Republican and pro-Israel criticism over his appearances with streamer Hasan Piker, his response to an attack on a Detroit synagogue and his decision not to comment on the death of Iran’s supreme leader while some constituents in Dearborn were mourning. His staff did not think it appropriate to condemn an attempt to kill 140 Jewish children.
El-Sayed narrowly defeated Rep. Haley Stevens in Tuesday’s Democratic primary. He led by fewer than 15,000 votes—less than one percentage point. He will face former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers in November.
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