U.S. Senator Bernie Donates $1m To Defend Muslim Candidate Abdul El-Sayed Against $9m AIPAC Plot

United States Senator Bernie Sanders has transferred $1 million to bolster Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee in Michigan’s Senate race, after learning that pro-Israel lobby AIPAC planned to spend up to $9 million to defeat him.

According to a report by The New York Times, Sanders, the 85-year-old independent from Vermont, made the transfer on Wednesday and immediately began calling progressive allies to counter the spending by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).

Dr. El-Sayed, if elected, would make history as the first Muslim senator in American history.

“What I have done today was not only put a million into Abdul’s campaign, but we are also reaching out to other individuals to try to raise money because this is just outrageous,” Sanders told The New York Times.

The NYT report stated that by the end of Wednesday, the Sanders operation had secured promises and pledges totaling $300,000 from a dozen other Democrats, including Senators Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, Tina Smith of Minnesota, Chris Van Hollen of Maryland and Jeff Merkley of Oregon.

Sanders added: “That’s nowhere near what AIPAC is doing. It’s nowhere near what other super PACs — billionaire-funded super PACs — are doing. But it is a way to stand with democracy and with Abdul’s campaign.”

According to The Times, Sanders had already given $250,000 in the first week of October to the Abdul for Michigan Victory Fund — a joint effort of Dr. El-Sayed’s campaign, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the Michigan Democratic State Central Committee.

Source: The New York Times