Washington, D.C. – On October 3, 2025, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) and Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) sent a letter to the Trump administration, urging an investigation into the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)’s alleged links to Hamas, as reported by the Washington Free Beacon. The bipartisan pair, known for their staunch support for Israel, accused CAIR of providing “material support” to the terrorist group and called for a review of its tax-exempt status.
The letter, signed by Stefanik and Cotton, claims CAIR has a history of anti-Israel activism, including praising the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack and opposing the Abraham Accords. It cites a 1994 FBI memo linking CAIR to the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas, and demands the Justice Department probe its funding and activities. CAIR, the largest Muslim civil rights organization in the U.S., denied the allegations, calling the letter “Islamophobic” and a “smear campaign.”
This push comes amid rising antisemitism in the U.S., with the ADL reporting a 400% increase in incidents since October 7. Stefanik, a vocal critic of campus antisemitism, and Cotton, a foreign policy hawk, aim to curb what they see as CAIR’s role in fueling hate. The administration has not commented, but the letter could lead to renewed scrutiny of CAIR’s operations.
