Bowman threatens lawsuit over accusation he took money from Hamas

Rep. Jamal Bowman’s (DN.Y.) campaign says it will file a defamation lawsuit against his opponent, Westchester County Executive George Latimer, over accusations that Bowman accepted money from Hamas. I’m threatening you.

David Mitrani, an attorney representing the Bowman campaign, said: sent a letter On Tuesday, Latimer’s campaign called on the candidate to retract accusations that Bowman received funds from terrorist organizations.

“This statement that the Congressional Campaign received ‘money from Hamas’ is false,” Mitrani wrote in a letter obtained by The Hill. “Mr. Latimer and his campaign have now notified us that this statement is false. It is false and we demand that Mr. Latimer retract his statement.”

“Under the Federal Election Campaign Act, foreign contributions are prohibited in U.S. political campaigns,” Mitrani continued. He said, “Latimer accused the campaign of violating federal election campaign laws by issuing a statement that Congressman Jamaal Bowman has received funds from foreign organizations and individuals.”

The letter cites reports from the government. black westchestersaid Latimer made the accusations on Saturday when a woman asked him about accepting donations from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which also supported Latimer in January.

The conversation reportedly took place at New Rochelle High School’s 12th annual Black History Month celebration, according to Black Westchester.

The woman told Latimer that the committee was “supporting problematic right-wing conspiracy theorist-type Republicans” and “pitting two marginalized groups, blacks and Jews, against each other.” city-state report.

AIPAC was Mr. Latimer’s largest donor in the final quarter of 2023, giving $600,000, according to campaign finance reports.

When the woman said that Mr. Latimer was “taking money from the devil” in return for the support he received from AIPAC, Mr. Latimer fired back by tying Mr. Bowman to Hamas.

“Bowman takes money from the devil, he takes money from Hamas,” Latimer said, according to the letter.

When the woman asked for evidence, Latimer later emailed her the paper’s article, according to city and state reports. washington free beacon It reports details of a fundraiser in Los Angeles by Rep. Cori Bush (D-Missouri) and Mr. Bowman. The event was hosted by activists critical of Israel, but the article does not suggest that Hamas donated to Bowman’s re-election campaign.

Latimer’s campaign said Tuesday that the letter was a “baseless attack from scandal-plagued Jamal Bowman.”

“On the specific issues that Mr. Bowman is threatening to take to court, it is clear that he has accepted the support of those who support and seek to justify Hamas’s unspeakable acts of terrorism, which Mr. Bowman denies. ” the campaign said.

Mr. Bowman, who represents parts of Westchester and the Bronx, is running for reelection and is fending off a Democratic primary challenge from Mr. Latimer.