Abdul El-Sayed calls AIPAC donations legalized bribery in Michigan
Rep. Debbie Dingell says Democrats ‘made a mistake’ by ignoring Maine scandal
Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., reacted to Democratic Senate candidates Abdul El-Sayed and Haley Stevens engaging in a heated debate, revealing a deep divide over support for Israel and AIPAC. Dingell emphasizes the importance of Israel-related issues to Michigan’s diverse Jewish and Arab American communities.
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Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic candidate for the US Senate in Michigan, called donations from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) a form of “bribery”.
“Next week AIPAC will spend at least $3,847,990 against me. Why? Because [Haley Stevens] “You would be more committed to the future of a foreign country than keeping your tax dollars here to provide schooling and health care for yourself and your children,” El-Sayed said. In a post I wrote to X.
“We have legalized bribery at its worst.”
The post, which comes less than a month before the primary against pro-Israel and establishment candidate Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., raises questions about the representation of foreign interests in American elections and whether El-Sayed’s criticisms can be applied to other groups.
Josh Shapiro WARNES THAT ATTACKS ON AIPAC ARE ‘USED TO SILENCE SOME VOTERS’
Michigan Senate Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed spent his campaign denying he wanted to defund the police, but in an unearthed clip he asked, “Do the police really need to use guns?” he asked. (Sarah Rice/Getty Images)
“Does this apply to PAL PAC and Arab American PAC?” Investigative reporter Chuck Ross wrote: In a post I wrote to X, It refers to two pro-Palestinian groups.
El-Sayed’s campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Israel and its influence in American politics were major themes of the Michigan Senate primaries. Rep. Stevens, backed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (DY), heavily criticized El-Sayed for questioning the U.S.-Israel alliance amid the conflict with Hamas.
“I would say that Israel has the right to exist peacefully alongside the people of Palestine and Gaza,” Stevens said during a debate Tuesday evening. he said.
DEMOCRATS’ CIVIL WAR COMES TO MICHIGAN, WHERE PROGRESSIVES FACE THE BIGGEST TEST EVER IN THE HIGH-StakeS SENATE BATTLES
Rep. Haley Stevens (R) of Michigan and former Wayne County Health Department Director Abdul El-Sayed face off in the Democratic Senate primary in the Great Lakes battleground state on Aug. 4, 2026. ( )
El-Sayed, on the other hand, argued that the Israel lobby has accumulated too much power in the US elections, which prevents candidates from questioning the partnership or under what conditions the US should withhold its aid.
“For too long, our foreign policy has been handed over to us by states like the state of Israel and AIPAC, which has enabled both Democrats and Republicans to do their bidding,” El-Sayed said on Tuesday. he said.
It is noteworthy that El-Sayed has a modest foreign presence.
Responding to criticism that he has not yet released his tax returns, El-Sayed admitted that his family made the assessments abroad and therefore delayed the process.
“Taxes are getting complicated,” El-Sayed replied when asked about the issue during a recent program. “My wife and her family have property abroad, and getting all these tax forms is a big deal.”
DEM CIVIL WAR, FIRST BATTLEGROUND IN THE FIRST DEBATE SCENE IN ALL: ‘WHAT ARE YOU HIDING?’
Abdul El-Sayed, a candidate for U.S. Senate in Michigan, speaks before U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., takes the stage at Mumford High School on May 3, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Sarah Rice/Getty Images)
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El-Sayed reported a number of stocks as part of his candidate report disclosures in June 2025. These include a $278,900 salary from Wayne County and various other assets with a net worth ranging from $580,000 to $1.7 million.
As part of this report, his wife reported holding real estate worth up to $15,000 in India.
