Congressman Announces He’s ‘Returning AIPAC Donations’ and ‘Refusing to Accept’ Any More Support
Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) announced on Thursday that he would be returning all donations sent to him by pro-Israel lobbying group AIPAC and “refusing to accept” any more support.
“I am returning AIPAC donations and refusing to accept any donations or support from them,” announced Moulton in a statement. “The FEC filing I made yesterday reflects that we are returning donations.”
He continued:
I support Israel’s right to exist, but I’ve also never been afraid to disagree openly with AIPAC when I believe they’re wrong. In recent years, AIPAC has aligned itself too closely with Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government. I’m a friend of Israel, but not of its current government, and AIPAC’s mission today is to back that government. I don’t support that direction. That’s why I’ve decided to return the donations I’ve received and will not be accepting their support.
AIPAC responded to the announcement with their own statement, accusing the congressman of “abandoning his friends to grab a headline.”
“Rep. @sethmoulton is abandoning his friends to grab a headline, capitulating to the extremes rather than standing on conviction,” AIPAC said. “His statement comes after years of him repeatedly asking for our endorsement and is a clear message to AIPAC members in Massachusetts, and millions of pro-Israel Democrats nationwide, that he rejects their support and will not stand with them.”
Moulton made the announcement just days after he announced he would be challenging 79-year-old Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) for his seat next year, and just one day after Moulton received criticism from the organization Track AIPAC for taking nearly $120,000 in donations from AIPAC and other pro-Israel lobbying groups.
“Seth Moulton supports funneling billions of our tax dollars to Israel to fund apartheid and genocide,” Track AIPAC wrote in response to the launch of Moulton’s Senate campaign.
Track AIPAC reacted to Moulton’s announcement on Thursday, stating that the stunt was not yet enough to win their support.
“Returning AIPAC’s blood money is better late than never. But your record and your silence on Gaza still speaks louder than this press release,” the organization declared. “Will you publicly call Netanyahu’s war and starvation campaign what it is – a genocide?”
They continued, “Will you stop writing blank checks to the tyrannical regime you now say ‘is not your friend’? And will you publicly apologize to the families in your district and across this country whose loved ones have been killed because of the murderous dictator you helped fund for years? We’re listening – but we’re still not impressed.”
