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

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'

Michigan Senate Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed has spent his campaign denying he wanted to defund the police, but in an unearthed clip he asked, "Do police really need to use guns?" (Sarah Rice/Getty Images)

"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

Rep. Haley Stevens of Michigan, right, and former Wayne County Health Department Director Abdul El-Sayed are facing off in the August 4, 2026, Democratic Senate primary in the Great Lakes battleground state. ( )

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 AIPAC, who has made sure that both Democrats and Republicans are doing their bidding," El-Sayed said on Tuesday.

Notably, El-Sayed has a modest foreign asset.

In response to criticisms that he had yet to release his tax returns, El-Sayed acknowledged that his family had been holding the evaluations abroad, delaying the process.

"Taxes get complicated," El-Sayed replied when asked about the topic on a recent programming appearance. "My wife and her family own property abroad and getting all those tax forms is a thing."

DEM CIVIL WAR HITS PRIMARY DEBATE STAGE IN FIERY BATTLEGROUND SHOWDOWN: 'WHAT ARE YOU HIDING?'

Abdul El-Sayed, candidate for U.S. Senate in Michigan, speaks before U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., takes the stage at Mumford High School on May 3, 2026, in Detroit, Michigan. (Sarah Rice/Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

As a part of his candidate report disclosures filed on June 2025, El-Sayed has reported a number of holdings. Among them: a salary from Wayne County worth $278,900 and an assortment of other assets totaling a net worth somewhere between $580,000 and $1.7 million.

As a part of that report, his wife reported holding up to $15,000 in real estate in India.