Stefanik, Cotton Press Treasury Department to investigate CAIR over alleged ties to Hamas
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Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Arkansas, and Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Arkansas, are pressing Treasury Secretary Scott Besent to investigate the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), claiming it may be funded or directed by Hamas or other terrorist groups.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations describes itself as an Islamic civil rights organization founded in 1994 with chapters throughout the United States.
The request comes as President Donald Trump led a ceasefire in Gaza between Hamas and Israel.
Stefanik and Cotton argue that CAIR’s historical ties, public discourse, and activism raise questions about whether the group’s support for Hamas amounts to material support for terrorism.
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Rep. Elise Stefanik, D-N.Y., asks the Treasury Secretary to conduct an investigation into the Council on American-Islamic Relations. (Getty Images)
The lawmakers said the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, which enforces U.S. sanctions on terrorist groups and their affiliates, has the authority to investigate whether CAIR’s activities violate federal law.
CAIR has long denied accusations of supporting Hamas, saying it “does not support any foreign organization or government” and calling the allegations “false and anti-Islam,” according to a CAIR report. Statement on its website. The group says its mission is to defend the civil rights of Muslims in the United States
Stefanik chairs the House Republican Conference, and Cotton is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Both have pushed for stricter enforcement of anti-terrorist financing laws in previous oversight efforts.
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Senate President Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Arkansas, arrives for a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on “Global Threats” at the Hart Senate Office Building, March 25. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc)
In July, Stefanik chided City University of New York to hire former CAIR employee. She called the decision unacceptable to New York taxpayers.
She and Cotton say the Treasury Department’s investigation will ensure that U.S. assets are not used to advance Hamas’ goals.
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“We urge the Department to immediately investigate whether CAIR has financial ties to Hamas that violate U.S. sanctions,” they wrote.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.