WASHINGTON – The congresswoman who accused the Bush administration of allowing energy and defense industry profits to guide its war policy has accepted campaign contributions from employees of groups that support terrorist organizations, according to Federal Election Commission records.
Rep. Cynthia McKinney, D-Ga., received $1,000 from Abdurahman Alamoudi, the founder and former executive director of American Muslim Council.
Alamoudi's contribution is one of 45 McKinney received during the 1999-2000 election cycle that did not list the occupation of the donor as required by the FEC. Those donations totaled $24,000.
"I have been labeled by the media in New York as being a supporter of Hamas. Anybody supporters of Hamas here?" Alamoudi asked, to cheers from the crowd at an October 2000 White House protest of U.S. policies in the Middle East.
'We Are All Supporters of Hamas'
"Hear that, Bill Clinton? We are all supporters of Hamas ... I wish they added that I am also a supporter of Hezbollah." Hezbollah and Hamas are on the State Department's official list of terrorist organizations.
McKinney received another $1,000 from Aly Abuzaakouk, who listed his employer as American Muslim Council, and $500 from Nihad Hammad, who lists Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) as his workplace.
The data was compiled by Center for Responsive Politics on its Web site
http://www.opensecrets.org.Ibrahim Hooper, CAIR's communications director, would not condemn Osama bin Laden's involvement in the Sept. 11 terrorist assault in an interview with Salon shortly after the attacks.
Other CAIR officials and board members have blamed Israeli and Egyptian intelligence officials for the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. Federal prosecutor Mary Jo White said in a November 2001 interview with the New Republic that one former CAIR board member was a "possible conspirator" in the 1993 bombing.
'Demand to Know Her Ties'
Phil Kent, president of Southeastern Legal Foundation (SLF), says McKinney is "completely undermining" the U.S. war against terrorism.
"I think it's incumbent upon all of us to demand to know her ties with people like Alamoudi," Kent said.
"If she had any shred of integrity, which I don't think she has, she'd repudiate these people," he added.
On April 12, Kent wrote Rep. Joel Hefley, R-Colo., chairman of the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, and Rep. Howard Berman, D-Calif., the ranking Democrat on the committee, requesting formal sanctions against McKinney for her comments during an interview with a radio station in Berkeley, Calif.
"We believe that her statements warrant an investigation by the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, specifically, that her statements appear to violate Rule 43 of the Code of Official Conduct, Rules of the House of Representatives, Adopted by 105th Congress, namely, 'a member, officer, or employee of the House of Representatives shall conduct himself at all times in a manner which shall reflect creditably on the House of Representatives,'" Kent wrote on behalf of SLF.
During the interview, McKinney called for an investigation into whether President Bush and other government officials had advance notice of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
"We know there were numerous warnings of the events to come on September 11th," McKinney claimed. "What did this administration know and when did it know it, about the events of September 11th? Who else knew, and why did they not warn the innocent people of New York who were needlessly murdered? What do they have to hide?
"Persons close to this administration are poised to make huge profits off America's new war," she charged.
After being confronted by the media, McKinney issued a statement "clarifying" her remarks.
'I Am Not Aware'
"I am not aware of any evidence showing that President Bush or members of his administration have personally profited from the attacks of 9-11," she said. "A complete investigation might reveal that to be the case."
SLF called McKinney's comments "shameful ... unethical and dangerous."
"For perceived political gain, McKinney has dishonored the U.S. House and her constituents by alleging high treason, and has undermined the sense of the U.S. House in its clearly stated efforts to support and defend the actions of this government in its prosecution of the war on terrorism," Kent wrote.
Under Investigation for Breaking Election Law
In addition to any action the House might take against her, McKinney is under investigation for at least six counts of alleged election law violations stemming from her purported activities in a voting precinct in DeKalb County, Ga., on Election Day 2000.
An administrative law judge will hear charges that McKinney "invaded" a polling place during polling hours, harassed and intimated poll watchers, and directly solicited votes while there.
The Georgia State Board of Elections has voted unanimously twice to recommend action by the state on all six counts.
Kent doubts McKinney will acknowledge any wrongdoing in accepting donations from supporters of terrorist organizations.
"I'm wondering if she's going to give the money back," he asked rhetorically. "But I know she won't."
