Michigan Senate hopeful calls AIPAC donations 'legalized bribery,' remains silent on other donations

By Fox News · Fox News

Abdul El-Sayed, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Michigan, called dinations from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) a form of "bribery." "Next week, AIPAC is set to spend at least $3,847,990 against me. Why? Because [Haley Stevens] is more committed to the future of a foreign country than keeping your tax dollars here to provide schools and healthcare for you and your kids," El-Sayed said in a post to X. "Legalized bribery at its worst." The post, which comes a little under a month before a primary against Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., a pro-Israel and establishment candidate, raises questions about foreign interests represented in American elections and whether El-Sayed’s criticisms could be applied to other groups. JOSH SHAPIRO WARNS THAT ATTACKS ON AIPAC ARE BEING USED TO 'SILENCE CERTAIN VOTERS' "Does that apply to PAL PAC and Arab American PAC?" Chuck Ross, an investigative reporter, wrote in a post to X, referring to two pro-palestine groups. El-Sayed’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital along those lines. Israel and its influence in American politics have been key themes for the Michigan Senate primary. Stevens, a member of the House of Representatives, endorsed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has heavily criticized El-Sayed for questioning the U.S.-Israel alliance amid the conflict with Hamas. "I can say that Israel has a right to peacefully exist alongside the people of Palestine and Gaza," Stevens said at a debate on Tuesday evening. DEMOCRATS' CIVIL WAR HEADS TO MICHIGAN WHERE PROGRESSIVES FACE BIGGEST TEST YET IN HIGH-STAKES SENATE SHOWDOWN El-Sayed, for his part, has maintained that the Israel lobby has amassed too much power in U.S. elections, preventing candidates from questioning the partnership or under what circumstances the U.S. should withhold its assistance. "For too long our foreign policy has been handed to us by the likes of the state of Israel and AIPA…