Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., urged the Internal Revenue Service on Tuesday to investigate the Council on American-Islamic Relations and their tax-exempt status over concerns the Muslim advocacy group has ties to terrorist organizations.
In a letter sent to IRS Commissioner Billy Long and first obtained by The Washington Free Beacon, Cotton cited "longstanding evidence" of CAIR's ties to terror groups Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood.
"CAIR purports to be a civil rights organization dedicated to protecting the rights of American Muslims. But substantial evidence confirms CAIR has deep ties to terrorist organizations. In fact, in the largest terrorism financing case in U.S. history, CAIR was listed as a member of the Muslim Brotherhood's Palestine committee," Cotton wrote.
Cotton, who serves as chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, has requested the IRS investigate CAIR's financial records to determine if the group is in compliance with section 501(c)(3) of the tax code, which governs nonprofits. Cotton cited a speech by CAIR's national Executive Director Nihad Awad when he offered praise of the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas against Israeli civilians.
"The people of Gaza only decided to break the siege, the walls of the concentration camp, on Oct. 7. And yes, I was happy to see people breaking the siege and throwing down the shackles of their own land and walk free into their land, which they were not allowed to walk in. And yes, the people of Gaza have the right to self-defense, have the right to defend themselves, and yes, Israel, as an occupying power, does not have that right to self-defense," Awad said at an American Muslims for Palestine convention in November of 2023."
"The IRS has broad authority to examine whether an entity's operations align with its exempt purpose," Cotton continued. "Tax-exempt status is a privilege, not a right, and it should not subsidize organizations with links to terrorism." Cotton has requested an immediate review of CAIR's "financial records, affiliations and activities."
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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