Overview

• On August 5, Sen. Tom Cotton sent a letter to IRS Commissioner Billy Long requesting a formal investigation into whether CAIR’s activities violate section 501(c)(3) by citing alleged ties to Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood.
• He demanded a comprehensive review of the organization’s financial records, affiliations and activities to assess whether it has provided material support to designated terrorist groups.
• The letter cited CAIR’s listing as an unindicted co-conspirator in the 2009 Holy Land Foundation trial, its founders’ participation in a 1993 Hamas supporters’ meeting in Philadelphia and a 2023 comment by executive director Nihad Awad praising Palestinian resistance.
• CAIR dismissed the petition as based on debunked conspiracy theories and politically driven tactics, branding it a modern-day McCarthyite attack.
• The IRS has not yet responded to Cotton’s letter, leaving any formal investigation pending as CAIR maintains its civil-rights advocacy role.