Michigan U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed shares a significant number of donors with Dan Bilzerian, a former Republican congressional candidate whose campaign featured antisemitic attacks. A review of Federal Election Commission filings by Fox News Digital revealed that nearly two dozen donors contributed more than $61,000 combined to both El-Sayed's and Bilzerian's campaigns.
El-Sayed, a Democrat, and Bilzerian, a Republican, hold opposing political stances on many issues, including support for Israel. Both candidates have voiced criticism of U.S. aid to Israel. While Bilzerian has supported Trump administration policies such as mass deportations and advocated for lower taxes, El-Sayed has called for abolishing ICE and increasing taxes on the wealthy.
Bilzerian's campaign against U.S. Rep. Randy Fine, a Jewish Republican from Florida, included an AI-generated advertisement that referred to Fine as a "fat Jew" and other antisemitic remarks, drawing criticism from Republican leaders. Bilzerian stated, "Jewish supremacy is the greatest threat to the world today."
El-Sayed has faced scrutiny over his associations with social media influencer Hasan Piker, who made controversial statements regarding Hamas and Israel. El-Sayed's campaign has stated it does not condone such remarks.
Among the shared donors is Georgia attorney Ibrahim Awad, who contributed $7,000 to El-Sayed's campaign and $12,651.88 through a joint fundraising committee supporting Bilzerian. Awad, whose mother is from Gaza, has been a vocal critic of Israel, accusing the nation of committing a "Holocaust in Gaza." He has also described Zionism as a "toxic way of thinking" rooted in supremacy.
Another shared donor, Hussein 'Sam' Mahrouq, owner of Enterprises International, donated $3,500 to El-Sayed's campaign and over $1,000 through a joint fundraising committee for Bilzerian. Mahrouq, a child of Palestinian refugees, has also contributed to other candidates critical of Israel, including Rep. Thomas Massie and former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. He also reportedly donated $400,000 to American Priorities PAC, an organization formed to counter the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
Mahrouq stated that his contributions should not be interpreted as an endorsement of every position held by a candidate or organization.
Muhi Khwaja, co-founder of the American Muslim Community Foundation, donated $625 to El-Sayed's campaign and $26.68 to Bilzerian's campaign. Khwaja has written about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, advocating for support for Palestinians and stating that "Israel's actions in Gaza are doing the opposite" of repairing the world.