A charity group connected to a terrorist organization has given money to many Democratic politicians over the last ten years, according to campaign finance records.
On October 15, 2024, the U.S. Treasury Department labeled a group called Samidoun as a fundraiser for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), which is a terrorist organization. People who work for or are on the board of Samidoun’s parent group in the U.S., the Alliance for Global Justice, have often donated money to well-known Democrats like Representatives Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib. Another group, Defense for Children Palestine, which Israel has also linked to the PFLP, has also given money to Democrats.
Samidoun says it supports the rights of people held by the Israeli government, but the Treasury Department found that it is controlled by the PFLP. One board member, Khaled Barakat, is a PFLP member involved in raising funds and recruiting for the group’s attacks against Israel.
The U.S. has called the PFLP a terrorist organization since 1997. The group has carried out plane hijackings, bombings, and attacks on civilians and places of worship.
Samidoun’s connection to the PFLP and the support it gets from the Alliance for Global Justice have been known for years. In 2022, the Washington Examiner reported on this relationship. The Alliance helped Samidoun by handling donations, health insurance, and payroll.
After this was reported, some payment companies stopped working with the Alliance because of its ties to Samidoun. But even then, many Democrats kept accepting donations from employees and board members of the Alliance for Global Justice.
The Washington Examiner found more than 200 donations from Alliance employees and leaders to Democratic political groups.
Besides links to terrorism, the Alliance for Global Justice has a history of supporting violent left-wing groups. It started as part of a group that backed Nicaragua’s Sandinista government, which committed serious human rights abuses. The Alliance still supports Nicaragua’s current left-wing government, which some international observers criticize for harsh treatment of Christians.
Some Democrats who received money from the Alliance’s employees and board members include Senators Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, Representatives Pramila Jayapal, Ayanna Pressley, Ilhan Omar, and former Representative Cori Bush. Senators Bernie Sanders and Rashida Tlaib received the most donations.
In November 2023, the House of Representatives voted to formally criticize Tlaib for using the phrase “from the river to the sea,” which some interpret as calling for the end of Israel. Tlaib spoke at an event supported by a founding member of the PFLP in May 2024. That same month, it was reported that she paid $435,000 to a consulting firm that worked with the Alliance for Global Justice.
None of these politicians responded to requests for comments.
Senator Sanders also received donations from someone who works for Defense for Children International Palestine, which Israel labeled a terrorist group in 2021 because of its links to the PFLP. Leaders of this group have appeared in PFLP materials, attended memorials for its fighters, worked on its newspaper, been jailed for attacks, and helped train terrorists.
Citibank and Arab Bank stopped working with Defense for Children International Palestine in 2018 after lawyers showed evidence of its ties to the PFLP.
Neither the Alliance for Global Justice nor Defense for Children Palestine responded to requests for comment.
