Republican lawmakers Rep.
Elise Stefanik of New York and Sen.
Tom Cotton of Arkansas have called on Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to investigate the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) over allegations that the organization may be funded or directed by Hamas or other terrorist groups.
CAIR, founded in 1994, describes itself as a Muslim civil rights and advocacy group with chapters across the United States.
The lawmakers' request comes amid a ceasefire in Gaza led by President Donald Trump between Hamas and Israel.
Stefanik and Cotton have raised concerns about CAIR's historic ties, public rhetoric, and activism, suggesting these may amount to material support for terrorism.
They have urged the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, which enforces U.S.
sanctions on terrorist groups and their affiliates, to investigate whether CAIR’s activities violate federal law.
CAIR has consistently denied accusations of supporting Hamas, stating on its website that it does not support any foreign organization or government and labeling such claims as false and Islamophobic.
Rep.
Stefanik, who chairs the House Republican Conference, and Sen.
Cotton, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, have a history of advocating for stricter enforcement of anti-terror finance laws.
In July 2025, Stefanik criticized the City University of New York for hiring a former CAIR employee, calling the decision unacceptable to New York taxpayers.
Both lawmakers emphasize that a Treasury investigation would ensure that no U.S.
assets are used to advance Hamas’s objectives.
The lawmakers wrote to the Treasury Department urging an immediate investigation into whether CAIR maintains financial links to Hamas that violate U.S.
sanctions.
CAIR has not responded to requests for comment from Fox News Digital.
This development follows broader concerns about funding to groups with alleged terrorist ties, with the Department of Homeland Security having pulled funding from such organizations after watchdog reports.
The issue highlights ongoing tensions in U.S.
politics regarding the oversight of organizations linked to Muslim advocacy and the enforcement of counterterrorism finance laws.
Stefanik and Cotton's actions reflect a continued push within the Republican Party to scrutinize groups they suspect of having connections to foreign terrorist organizations, particularly in the context of the recent ceasefire in Gaza.