‘Convicted’ Financier Of Terror Operations Has ‘Contributed’ To Biden And Other Democratic Campaigns
Joe Biden and several other high-profile Democrat politicians have taken campaign donations from a convicted felon who finances terrorist operations. Emadeddin Muntasser, 57, has been accused of supporting “violent jihad” even after being released from prison.
The New York Post reported that Muntasser and two co-conspirators were convicted in January 2008 for entering into a conspiracy to defraud the US government, conceal evidence, and lie to FBI agents. The charges arose from the group’s operation of Care International, an Islamic charity they created that was used to finance jihad activities overseas. They also committed fraud in lying about the nature of the organization to obtain tax-exempt status.
Since 2018, Muntasser has donated to Biden and several Democrats running for federal office, including Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) and Rep Tom Malinowski (D-NJ). He has also contributed to a Democratic PAC, ActBlue.
Hank Sheinkopf is a New York Democratic strategist who told the Post that the contributions show a “lack of judgment” and show that Democrats will “do anything to get money” for political campaigns. He added that the “unbelievable” situation indicates Democrats are setting themselves up for failure.
As a result of his criminal activities using Care International, Muntasser served five months in federal prison and five months of home confinement. He also had six months of supervised release and paid a $10,000 fine.
Muntasser used Care International to transfer $120,000 to Makhtab al-Khidamat, an organization funded in part by Osama Bin Laden. He also traveled to Afghanistan in 1995 to meet with Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, who US officials designated as a “global terrorist.” Care International was also a successor organization of the Boston branch of the Al-Kifah Refugee Center.
Muntasser declined to comment to the Post for its reporting, and no Democrats who received money from him have addressed the contributions. Muntasser is currently operating Quitri III, a Massachusetts real estate investment and development firm.
Biden, Dem lawmakers take cash from convicted terrorist financier
A convicted felon accused by the US government of supporting “the cause of violent jihad” — and promoting 9/11 mastermind Osama Bin Laden — donated to Joe Biden’s presidential campaign and a host of progressive Democrats following his release from prison, records show.
Emadeddin Muntasser, 57, and two of his associates were convicted in January 2008 on counts of conspiring to defraud the United States government, lying to the FBI and engaging in a scheme to conceal evidence. The charges stemmed from their operation of an Islamic charity that acted as a front to finance Islamic jihad abroad and lying about the organization in order to obtain tax-exemption status.
“Today’s verdict is a milestone in our efforts against those who conceal their support for extremist causes behind the veil of humanitarianism. For years, these defendants used an allegedly charitable organization as a front for the collection of donations that they used to support violent jihadists,” Kenneth L. Wainstein, Assistant Attorney General for National Security said at the time.
During years-long criminal proceedings that followed the convictions were briefly tossed — only to be later reinstated in 2011. Muntasser ended up serving five months in a Rhode Island prison and another five months of home confinement, six months of supervised release and paid a $10,000 fine.
In 2018 Muntasser became a Democratic donor, cutting a $1,000 check for Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey, according to Federal Election Commission records.
New Jersey Rep. Tom Malinowski — one of the most endangered members of the House heading into the midterms — has taken $2,250 from Muntasser since 2018.
Muntasser also backed progressives in primary challenges. Last April he offered a max $2,900 donation to Rana Abdelhamid, an aspiring “Squad” member who is running against longtime Upper East Side Rep. Carolyn Maloney.
Muntasser has also donated $2,900 to Muad Hrezi, a Connecticut progressive looking to oust Democratic Rep. John Larson.
Muntasser gave $250 to Biden during his presidential campaign last year.
“Democrats can’t do anything but set themselves up for failure at this point,” Hank Sheinkopf, a longtime Democratic strategist in New York City told The Post, calling the situation “unbelievable.”
“This shows a lack of judgment and what it will be portrayed as is they will do anything to get money for their campaigns. They will deal with anybody — even enemies of the nation. They lose the moral argument entirely,” he added.
A spokeswoman for Malinowski told the New Jersey Globe he would donate the money he got from Muntasser.
“We are proud that thousands of people donate to the Congressman’s campaign. It is common for elected officials to discover problematic donors,” spokeswoman Naree Ketudat, told the outlet. “In this case, we are donating this particular individual’s contributions to the United States Capitol Police Memorial Fund.”
In their sentencing memorandum, government lawyers wrote that the “primary purpose” of Muntasser’s Care International was “financial support of the mujahideen and promotion of violent jihad.”
Muntasser transferred $120,000 from Care between 1993 and 1995 to Makhtab al-Khidamat, an organization co-founded by Bin Laden. He additionally traveled to Afghanistan in 1995 and met with Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, a U.S.-designated “global terrorist,” according to the sentencing memo.
The feds additionally said that “Muntasser served as director of the Boston branch of Al-Kifah Refugee Center,” in the early 1990s and that Care was a “successor” and “outgrowth” of the organization.
“In early 1993, after the first World Trade Center bombing, both Newsweek and The New York Times published articles linking the Brooklyn branch of Al-Kifah to violent Islamic groups. Within days, Muntasser dissolved the Boston branch of Al-Kifah and incorporated Care in Massachusetts,” the feds said.
Muntasser, now a self-styled “human rights and political leader,” currently runs real estate investment and development firm based in Massachusetts called Quitri III. The company received a $24,922 PPP loan from the government in 2020. He declined to comment for this story.
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