A Virginia judge has ordered American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), a prominent anti-Israel advocacy group, to disclose its funding channels. This decision comes as part of an investigation led by Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares into allegations of terrorism financing.
AMP will now be required to provide Miyares with access to its donor records and funding streams. The state argues that this disclosure could reveal evidence of the U.S.-based organization providing material support to overseas terrorist groups. The investigation was triggered by AMP’s failure for seven years to properly file basic tax forms, which are necessary to solicit donations in Virginia.
In October 2023, Miyares alleged that AMP “may have used funds raised for impermissible purposes under state law, including benefitting or providing support to terrorist organizations.” The judge in Richmond’s circuit court sided with the state, noting that Miyares “acted in good faith” and had the statutory authority to ensure the group’s compliance with laws barring support to terror groups. AMP admitted to failing to file the proper paperwork, although they claim to have since corrected this oversight.
BREAKING: Virginia court orders American Muslims for Palestine — the group behind anti-Israel protests — to turn over donor records, financial transactions as part of state investigation into alleged terrorism financing. Story TK on @FreeBeacon
— Adam Kredo (@Kredo0) July 16, 2024
This ruling allows Miyares to access potentially years’ worth of AMP’s funding documents, including donor and transaction records. AMP has been a central figure in anti-Israel protests and is currently facing lawsuits from Israeli terror victims, who allege the group and its allies act as collaborators for Hamas.
Miyares celebrated the court’s decision, affirming his office’s jurisdiction to investigate potential violations of Virginia’s charitable registration and solicitation laws. AMP’s attorney, Christina Jump, argued that the group’s compliance with Virginia law is now complete and that Miyares’s request for donor documents violates the First Amendment. Jump described the state’s case as “wide-ranging and inflammatory,” asserting there is no evidence of financial support to terrorist groups abroad.
Despite these arguments, the judge’s ruling stands, allowing Miyares to obtain extensive records on AMP’s finances, organizational structure, and potential ties to terrorist organizations. AMP plans to seek clarification on what compliance entails and may appeal if required to provide detailed information on every donor and transaction.
AMP has long faced accusations of terrorism financing, particularly following Israel’s war on terror. The group has been influential in organizing protests that feature calls for violence and support for Hamas. Congressional investigators have requested the Treasury Department to review any suspicious activity reports related to AMP and other nonprofits involved in anti-Israel unrest. There are also petitions to revoke the tax-exempt status of these groups.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) describes AMP as the leading organization providing anti-Zionist training and education to students and Muslim community organizations in the U.S. The ADL criticizes AMP for promoting extreme anti-Israel views and providing a platform for anti-Semitism.
AMP is led by Executive Director Hatem Bazian, a lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley. Bazian has been accused of promoting anti-Semitic content and conspiracy theories regarding AIPAC’s influence in U.S. politics and Hamas’s right to resist Israel through violence.
