Democratic leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi headlined a high-dollar fundraiser in May that was attended by U.S.-based Islamist groups and individuals linked by the U.S. government to the Hamas jihad group and to the Egypt-based Muslim Brotherhood movement. The donors at the undisclosed May 16 event included Nihad Awad, the co-founder of the Council on American Islamic Relations, according to data provided by the nonpartisan Investigative Project on Terrorism.
The CAIR group was named an unindicted conspirator in a 2007 trial of a Hamas money-smuggling group.
A covertly-taken photograph provided by the IPT shows Pelosi standing near Awad at the fundraiser. Roughly 30 people attended the fundraiser, according to the IPT.
The cheapest tickets cost $5,000, and the most expensive were $30,800 per couple, according to the event invite from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which used the cash to fund Democratic candidates. (View the invite here)
The hosts of the event were DCCC chairman Rep. Steve Israel and two Muslim representatives, Rep. Keith Ellison and Rep. Andre Carson.
Ellison is the DCCC’s “national community outreach chair” and the co-chair of the House progressive caucus.
On Oct. 29, The Daily Caller asked Ellison’s press aide if the congressman would decline donations from Islamist groups. The aide replied that Ellison was not available to comment.
Since the May event, the DCCC has distributed a large amount of money — likely including the Islamists’ funds — to many House candidates who are part of the DCCC’s “Red to Blue” effort, which is trying unseat 55 Republican members of the House.
The list of Red to Blue candidates who got DCCC cash includes Connecticut’s Elizabeth Esty, Iowa’s Christie Vilsack, Maryland’s John Delaney and Florida’s Patrick Murphy.
Murphy is running against Florida Republican Rep. Allen West, an outspoken opponent of the Islamist groups. The groups have targeted him for defeat in 2012.
The Democrats are not expected to recapture the House in this year’s elections, prompting widespread rumors that Pelosi will retire.
Read more: dailycaller.com/2012/11/0...ked-groups/#ixzz2B4yT8AiH
