Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) has called on Internal Revenue Service Commissioner Billy Long to investigate the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) for its nonprofit status. Cotton alleges that CAIR has ties to terrorist organizations, including Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, and that its leadership has expressed support for terrorism.
In his letter to Commissioner Long, Senator Cotton stated: “The IRS has broad authority to examine whether an entity’s operations align with its exempt purpose. Tax-exempt status is a privilege, not a right, and it should not subsidize organizations with links to terrorism.”
Cotton referenced evidence from the largest terrorism-financing case in U.S. history, where CAIR was listed as a member of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Palestine Committee. He also cited government exhibits indicating that CAIR’s founders attended a meeting of Hamas supporters in Philadelphia.
Additionally, Cotton pointed to remarks made by CAIR’s national executive director Nihad Awad following the October 7th attacks by Hamas in Israel. According to Cotton, Awad said he was “happy to see” Palestinians “breaking the siege and throwing down the shackles of their own land.”
Senator Cotton urged the IRS to review CAIR’s compliance with section 501(c)(3), which prohibits charitable organizations from providing material support to terrorism. He requested an immediate investigation into CAIR’s financial records, affiliations, and activities.
