A bombshell investigation is rocking one of the country’s most high-stakes Senate races, shining a harsh light on the fundraising machine powering Michigan Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed just days after he clinched the primary. While El-Sayed’s campaign has repeatedly preached about getting big money out of politics, critics are now zeroing in on a web of contributions tied to a deeply controversial national organization.
According to a detailed Fox News Digital review, El-Sayed’s campaign has raked in more than $115,000 from at least 41 donors connected to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)—including current employees, former staffers, and top leadership figures. Among the high-profile names: CAIR National Board Chair Manal Fakhoury, National Board Treasurer Eyas Abdeen, National Vice Chair Emad Sabbah, and CAIR-Michigan board member Jukaku Tayeb.
The connections run even deeper. Tayeb isn’t just a major donor—he’s El-Sayed’s father-in-law and one of the biggest financial backers of a super PAC supporting the Democratic nominee. Donations poured in from CAIR-linked individuals across multiple states, including Michigan, California, Arizona, Texas, Georgia, Washington, Illinois, Minnesota, and Ohio. Other notable contributors include CAIR-California officials, CAIR-Michigan board member Muzammil Ahmed (who gave $11,600), and former CAIR National Board Chair Roula Allouch.
Even CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad (listed in FEC records as Nehad Hammad) appears among the donors. Awad faced intense backlash after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel for saying he was “happy” to see Hamas break out of Gaza and claiming Israel, as an occupying power, had no right to self-defense. El-Sayed himself has past ties to the group, appearing as a paid speaker at a 2022 CAIR event where he slammed Oklahoma’s ban on Sharia law and compared it to the Trail of Tears.
CAIR has long been dogged by controversy. Federal prosecutors named it an unindicted co-conspirator in the 2007 Holy Land Foundation terrorism-financing case (though it was never charged). The United Arab Emirates designated CAIR a terrorist organization in 2014, and officials in Florida and Texas have taken similar steps. The group has consistently denied any support for terrorism, pointing to public statements condemning attacks on civilians and antisemitism.
As Republicans dig in to define El-Sayed ahead of a race that could decide control of the U.S. Senate, this donor network is quickly becoming a central flashpoint—raising tough questions about the sources of cash fueling a campaign that claims to reject the influence of money in politics.