EXCLUSIVE: Unindicted co-conspirator in largest terror-financing trial in US history congratulates socialist Seattle Mayor-elect Katie Wilson

In a statement posted on social media, CAIR declared, “Congratulations to Katie Wilson on her historic win as Seattle’s first millennial Mayor! It was an incredibly tight race and hard-fought victory. Wilson’s grassroots campaign and commitment to equity and affordability prevailed. This victory shows the growing power of community-driven, progressive leadership.”

CAIR endorsed Wilson in the race, though Wilson notably did not list the organization on her official campaign website. Instead, she highlighted the endorsement of the American Muslim Advancement Council, a far lower-profile group.

Wilson is the co-founder of the far-left activist group the Transit Riders Union and has increasingly been under the microscope after she revealed in an interview that she dropped out of Oxford University six weeks before graduation and at the age of 43 is still living off her parents. Her campaign previously faced scrutiny over allegedly fabricating an endorsement from Black civil-rights figure Claude Burfect, an accusation that raised questions about the legitimacy of her broader supporter network.

Wilson’s comments on Israel also align closely with CAIR’s rhetorical positions. She has falsely referred to a “genocide” in Gaza, signaled openness to boycotting Israel and taken positions that Jewish leaders in Seattle have openly expressed concern about. Multiple Jewish political groups backed her opponent. Screenshots circulating among local Jewish organizations appear to show Wilson endorsing hard-line pro-Hamas activist talking points about Israel and Gaza, leading to further alarm among community leaders.

The political ties between Wilson and CAIR comes as the organization seeks to expand influence across Washington State and around the country. While CAIR continues to brand itself as the nation’s leading Muslim civil-rights organization, its history is marked by deep controversy. In the Holy Land Foundation case, the largest terrorism-financing trial in US history, federal prosecutors named CAIR an unindicted co-conspirator after the foundation was convicted of funneling millions of dollars to Hamas, a designated terrorist organization. The Biden administration previously severed ties with CAIR due to evidence presented in the trial linking its founders and leadership to Hamas-connected networks.

CAIR’s executive director Nihad Awad said in November 2023, that he was “happy” to see Hamas’s October 7 attack in Israel just weeks earlier, an assault that killed more than 1,200 people, included widespread rape, kidnapping of 250 civilians (including Americans), and marked the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust. The praise for Hamas’s massacre prompted condemnation from Members of Congress and Jewish groups, who accused CAIR’s leader of openly glorifying terrorism. Awad subsequently doubled down on similar rhetoric, framing the events of October 7 as “resistance,” further reinforcing CAIR’s longstanding ties to groups and narratives aligned with Hamas.

At CAIR’s recent 31st anniversary gala in Washington, DC, the radical organization honored Mahmoud Khalil, who organized Hamas-aligned activism at Columbia University. Khalil organized anti-Israel rallies, led the takeover of Hamilton Hall, trapping custodial staff inside, and was accused of distributing Hamas propaganda. He was later detained by immigration officials and ultimately ordered deported by a federal judge. Despite this, CAIR celebrated him as its 2025 “Champion of Justice.” The gala also featured several other controversial figures, including Rep. Ilhan Omar, who has repeatedly been criticized for antisemitic remarks; progressive pundit Cenk Uygur; and Georgetown researcher Badr Khan Suri, who was detained by the Department of Homeland Security for spreading Hamas propaganda and maintaining ties to a senior Hamas adviser. CAIR also honored attorneys who represented Rumeysa Ozturk, a prominent BDS activist celebrated by the organization.

Also featured at the event was activist Linda Sarsour, who was ousted from the Women’s March over antisemitism. Last week, internal Democratic Socialist of America (DSA) documents and public statements revealed that the organization’s New York City branch, backed by Sarsour, is working to pressure newly elected Mayor Zohran Mamdani to advance an explicitly socialist and anti-Israel agenda from City Hall. The DSA’s Anti-War Working Group strategy notes call for divesting city funds from Israeli bonds, cutting NYPD ties with the Israeli military, and even arresting Israeli officials for alleged war crimes, policies Sarsour publicly pledged to enforce from outside Mamdani’s administration.

In a livestream, she warned supporters, “Electing Zohran doesn’t mean we’re going to let him do whatever the hell he wants,” vowing to “hold him accountable” to dismantling the NYPD’s counterterrorism unit and advancing DSA priorities. The plans show how Sarsour and the DSA are seeking to turn municipal power into a vehicle for anti-Israel activism that aligns with the broader ideological agenda of groups like CAIR.

In the 2025 election cycle, CAIR Action, the organization’s political arm, endorsed or publicly celebrated a slate of Democratic candidates across Washington and the US.

Senator Tom Cotton (R-AK) sent a letter to IRS Commissioner Billy Long in August, urging a review of CAIR’s 501(c)(3) nonprofit status. He argued the organization had “deep ties to terrorist organizations, including Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood,” and said tax-exempt status should not subsidize such groups.

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) joined Cotton in requesting that the US Treasury Department examine whether CAIR’s funding and activities violated sanctions on Hamas. Earlier this month, Rep Chip Roy demanded that the tax-exempt status be stripped from organizations like CAIR with ties to terror.