On 28 February 2025, The New York Post reported that the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) had settled a lawsuit rather than disclose its foreign funding sources. The article begins:
A Washington-based Muslim nonprofit, which is one of the largest operating across the US, agreed this week to settle a case brought by a former board member and employee rather than open its books to reveal sources of foreign funding, The Post has learned. Evidence in past court proceedings has shown links between The Council on American-Islamic Relations Foundation Inc. and both Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood. CAIR Inc. settled with Lori Saroya Thursday, months after US Magistrate Judge David Schultz ruled any assets owned by the group are all within the “scope of permissible discovery” as part of the former Minnesota chapter leader’s lawsuit against the controversial Muslim rights group. Saroya filed her federal defamation complaint against CAIR last year after the group dropped a lawsuit against her, which accused her of embarking on a “defamation campaign” against the organization. Lawmakers are demanding a federal investigation into the nonprofit, which took in more than $5.3 million in contributions and grants in 2022, the last year for which public filings are available. “CAIR’s leadership has a long history of spewing vile antisemitism and anti-Zionist rhetoric, including openly praising the Hamas terrorists that brutally attacked Israel, murdering, raping, and kidnapping more than 1,200 people on October 7 [2023],” said Josh Gottheimer, a Democratic Congressman from New Jersey…
Key Points:
- CAIR settled with ex-board member Lori Saroya, avoiding court-ordered disclosure of foreign funding sources.
- Court evidence linked CAIR to Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, raising concerns among US lawmakers.
- Following CAIR’s executive director’s controversial remarks on October 7, the Biden administration distanced itself.
- Congressional leaders are calling for a federal probe into CAIR’s finances and alleged ties to extremist groups.