Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., is requesting the Treasury secretary investigate the Council on American-Islamic Relations. (Getty Images)
The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, which enforces U.S. sanctions on terrorist groups and their affiliates, has the authority to investigate whether CAIR’s activities violate federal law, the lawmakers said.
CAIR has long denied accusations of supporting Hamas, saying it "does not support any foreign organization or government" and calling such claims "false and Islamophobic," according to a statement on its website. The group says its mission is to advocate for Muslim civil rights in the U.S.
Stefanik chairs the House Republican Conference, and Cotton sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee. Both have pressed for stricter enforcement of anti-terror finance laws in past oversight efforts.
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Chairman Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., arrives for the Senate Select Intelligence Committee hearing on "Worldwide Threats" in the Hart Senate Office Building, March 25. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc )
In July, Stefanik criticized the City University of New York for hiring a former CAIR employee. She called the decision unacceptable to New York taxpayers.
She and Cotton say a Treasury probe would ensure no U.S. assets are used to advance the objectives of Hamas.
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"We urge the department to immediately investigate whether CAIR maintains financial links to Hamas that violate U.S. sanctions," they wrote.
CAIR did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.
Jasmine Baehr is a Breaking News Writer for Fox News Digital, where she covers politics, the military, faith and culture.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/republican-lawmakers-demand-treasury-probe-cair-over-alleged-hamas-ties-terrorism-concerns