Pressure rises on Biden, Democrats to reject AIPAC funds
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[March 12, 2024]
By Stephanie Kelly
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A coalition of progressive groups is asking U.S.
President Joe Biden and other Democratic Party officials to not accept
endorsements or contributions from a pro-Israel group and its affiliated
super PACs.
The "Reject AIPAC" coalition, which includes congressional group Justice
Democrats and the Democratic Socialists of America group, is directed at
the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and affiliated groups.
AIPAC, a political action committee, and the groups have already spent
millions of dollars in the 2024 U.S. elections cycle.
The groups' campaign accompanies an increasingly organized movement
within the Democratic Party protesting Biden's support of Israel.
Israel's attacks on Gaza have killed over 31,000 people, according to
health officials in the enclave, and created a humanitarian catastrophe.
Israel is responding to the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas that killed 1,200.
Opposition to U.S. support for Israel hit the vote for Biden in the
recent Minnesota and Michigan Democratic primaries, electing more than a
dozen "uncommitted" delegates there.
"The coalition has been in the works for many months to get
organizations together that have recognized the destructive influence of
AIPAC," Ashik Siddique, a co-chair for the Democratic Socialists of
America, said.
The Reject AIPAC coalition said on Monday it was calling on the entire
Democratic Party to not accept support from AIPAC, adding that the group
takes millions of dollars from donors who also support Republican
interests.
Asked for comment, AIPAC said in a statement that its sole criteria for
evaluating candidates from both parties is their position on
strengthening the U.S.-Israel relationship.
Biden's campaign team and the Democratic National Committee did not
immediately respond to requests for comment.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at the AIPAC policy
conference in Washington, DC, U.S., March 6, 2018. REUTERS/Brian
Snyder/File Photo
Some of the top donors to the United Democracy Project, AIPAC's
affiliated super PAC, include the Marcus Foundation, a group started
by Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus, and fund manager Elliott
Investment Management, according to data from nonprofit research
group OpenSecrets. Both the foundation and the fund manager have
contributed to Republican interests.
UDP also has donors that contribute to Democratic interests.
Biden, a former vice president and senator, has long been a top
recipient of the pro-Israel lobby, receiving over $5.2 million in
support over the last 34 years, the most of any Congressional
recipient, according to OpenSecrets.
AIPAC raised about $24.8 million from January 2023 to January 2024,
according to the Federal Election Commission. UDP has raised about
$46.1 million during that period.
UDP spent $4.6 million against U.S. Representative Dave Min, a
Democrat in California, who won the Super Tuesday primary for the
state's 47th Congressional District.
Now, UDP has turned its attention to a race for a U.S. House of
Representatives seat in Illinois. It so far has spent about $268,000
against activist Kina Collins in the March 19 Democratic primary
race for Illinois' 7th Congressional District.
(Reporting by Stephanie Kelly; Editing by Heather Timmons and
Jonathan Oatis)
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