The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has asked the U.S. State Department to review allegations that chapters of the Council on American-Islamic Relations have ties to designated terrorist organizations and improperly received taxpayer funds.
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said on Tuesday that he had requested a review by Secretary of State Marco Rubio of CAIR National, CAIR California and CAIR-Washington.
“If there is any evidence of fraud, abuse or ties to designated terrorist organizations, we will act,” Kennedy stated.
According to HHS, CAIR-WA received about $1.3 million in taxpayer funds through grants administered by the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, while CAIR California received more than $30 million to assist with the resettlement of Afghan refugees in the United States.
Gustav Chiarello, HHS assistant secretary for financial resources, sent letters on Tuesday to Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson and California Gov. Gavin Newsom, citing allegations of “connections between CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood and its Palestinian branch, Hamas,” which the United States has designated as a foreign terrorist organization, the New York Post reported.
“As you may know, the United States Department of State has designated Hamas a Foreign Terrorist Organization. HHS takes these allegations very seriously, as the department may not conduct business with entities with ties to such designated organizations,” Chiarello wrote.
He asked the governors to notify HHS of any suspected fraud or violations involving funds awarded to CAIR affiliates.
The review comes as Congress weighs HR 8236, which would instruct the U.S. Department of the Treasury to designate CAIR as a terrorist organization, citing Executive Order 13224, which prohibits transactions “with persons who commit, threaten to commit or support terrorism.”
CAIR-WA, led by Imraan Siddiqi, has also drawn criticism from some lawmakers and advocacy groups over its involvement in an April event that encouraged participants to send letters to convicted terrorists in prison. Siddiqi is currently running for the Washington state legislature as a Democrat and is endorsed by Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.).
Rep. Randy Fine (R-Fla.) welcomed Kennedy’s action, citing the assassination of the secretary’s father, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, in 1968 by Sirhan Sirhan, a Palestinian immigrant who said he was motivated by the elder Kennedy’s support for Israel.
“There may be no more senior American official who has personally been affected by Muslim terror more than Secretary Kennedy,” Fine stated. “It is fitting that he directly take on their American affiliate, CAIR.”
