A civil rights group, linked to terrorism according to some federal lawmakers, has become a significant backer of Zoran Mamdani’s campaign for mayor, as revealed by public records.
The Unity and Justice Fund political action committee has donated $120,000 to Mamdani, who is the leading candidate for the Democratic Socialist nomination. This PAC is associated with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the largest Muslim nonprofit in the U.S., according to campaign documentation.
Notably, the Unity and Justice PAC operates out of offices in Sacramento and Washington and has shared addresses and personnel with CAIR. Reports indicate this from sources like the federal election commission and Open Secrets, a group focused on political funding transparency.
Leaders from CAIR have dismissed claims of connections to various extremist organizations, but they have not elaborated on these ties.
On September 16, another PAC linked to CAIR’s California chapter, known as Unity Lab PAC, contributed $23,500 to Mamdani’s campaign fund, according to finance reports.
Unity Lab’s president is Tasneem Manjra, who also serves as a contact point for the CAIR Sacramento Chapter.
Meanwhile, Basim Elkala leads the Unity and Justice Fund PAC. He’s previously held a long-term position as the executive director of CAIR California and is currently the treasurer for CAIR Action, an organization focused on mobilizing Muslim voters across the U.S.
The office in Washington, D.C., is located in the same building as CAIR’s national headquarters, the CAIR Foundation.
Linda Sarsour, a notable anti-Israel activist, has commented that CAIR and its PAC have been crucial institutional supporters of Mamdani’s campaign.
She indicated, “When November 4th comes, I’ll share this narrative. Zoran’s success here is due to our Muslim-American community,” during a recent speech at CAIR’s Leadership and Policy Conference.
Elkala is noted for his involvement with the Sacramento-based PAC that promotes the Boycott, Divest and Sanctions (BDS) movement and has drawn comparisons between Israel and apartheid South Africa.
According to federal filings, CAIR California is the largest branch of the organization, having raised over $17 million in donations in 2023. However, they did not respond to inquiries about their funding.
Manjra is affiliated with the U.S. Board of Directors of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees. Earlier this year, federal funding for UNRWA was withdrawn after accusations surfaced regarding connections to the October 7 attacks.
Previously, she threatened to stop selling Girl Scout cookies unless the organization retracted its disapproval of a Missouri troop selling handmade bracelets for Gaza.
Concerns around CAIR’s alleged terrorist affiliations have prompted calls for further investigation. Recently, Senator Tom Cotton and Representative Elise Stefanik requested that the Treasury Department look into CAIR’s links to Hamas.
In their correspondence, they referenced the 2008 terrorism financing trial involving the Holy Land Relief and Development Foundation, where key leaders were convicted of providing material support to Hamas, noting that CAIR was mentioned as an “unindicted co-conspirator” during those proceedings.
Furthermore, Cotton has urged for CAIR’s tax-exempt status to be revoked, citing their purported ties to terrorist groups. He stated, “Such ties should disqualify them from holding nonprofit status. Nonprofit status is a privilege, not a right.”
