Texas Senate Campaign Accepts Donations from Preacher Accused of Misconduct

The campaign for Texas Senate candidate James Talarico has accepted $3,000 in donations from Nouman Ali Khan, a prominent Muslim preacher and founder of the Bayyinah Institute. The donations come as Talarico, a Democrat, is in a close race with Republican Ken Paxton.

Khan has faced accusations of misconduct, with multiple women alleging in 2017 that he used his influence to draw them into relationships, sometimes involving sham marriages, which they claimed were a cover for sexual exploitation. A panel of Muslim scholars reportedly found that Khan apologized or threatened women who complained about his conduct, with one instance involving a nearly $7,000 bank transfer described as hush money. Khan has denied any wrongdoing, and his lawyer has called the claims unfounded.

In a lecture posted to YouTube prior to the allegations, Khan discussed the Quranic interpretation of a husband hitting his wife. While initially appearing to condemn the practice, he later suggested a theological allowance for husbands in specific, extreme circumstances, such as a wife's infidelity, stating Allah might "let you get away with that one." He also discussed a passage concerning the permissibility of a man marrying orphaned girls under his care once they reached a certain age.

A spokesperson for the Talarico campaign stated that they did not solicit a contribution from Khan and condemned violent rhetoric. "This individual is one of more than 1.6 million contributors and does not speak for our campaign," the spokesperson said.

Khan's three $1,000 donations were made to Talarico's campaign, with the most recent arriving on October 19, the first day of early voting. Talarico's campaign has stated they did not solicit the contribution and that Khan does not represent the campaign.