Texas Governor Greg Abbott is calling on the U.S. Treasury Department to launch a full investigation into the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), citing long-standing federal findings linking the organization to the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas. In a formal letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Abbott urged the department to suspend CAIR’s 501(c)(3) nonprofit status pending a thorough review.
“Federal investigators and court filings identify CAIR as a direct subsidiary of the Muslim Brotherhood and as a ‘front group’ for Hamas in the United States,” Abbott wrote. “Charity must not become a backdoor to sponsor terrorism, endanger Americans and subvert our democracy.”
Abbott emphasized that while Americans are generous and charitable by nature, federal tax exemptions must not shield organizations that undermine national security.
CAIR has faced scrutiny for years, including being named an unindicted co-conspirator in a major Hamas-funding prosecution and facing allegations from former federal officials connecting the group to extremist networks. Abbott’s request signals renewed pressure for the federal government to take these warnings seriously — something he argues Washington has been reluctant to do.
This is not Abbott’s first move against organizations tied to the Muslim Brotherhood. The governor has repeatedly acted to shield Texans from extremist influence, including:
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Formally designating the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR as foreign terrorist organizations under state authority.
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Calling for investigations into Sharia courts operating in Texas.
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Directing the Texas Department of Public Safety to investigate both CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood.
Abbott argues that while Texas has taken decisive action, federal enforcement is necessary to ensure national-security threats don’t operate freely in other states.
The request now puts the Biden administration in a difficult position: either treat CAIR as a legitimate nonprofit — despite mounting evidence of extremist ties — or take the concerns of state leaders and national security experts seriously.
For conservatives, the issue is clear. Any organization connected to foreign Islamist movements or extremist networks should not be given the legal and financial privileges of a charitable organization.
Abbott’s letter is a direct challenge to federal complacency and a call for Washington to join Texas in confronting threats that target American values, public safety and constitutional democracy.
The ball is now in the Treasury Department’s court.
