Congress
AIPAC looms large ahead of New York primaries
NEW YORK — The country’s most prominent pro-Israel special interest group isn’t even spending in Rep. Dan Goldman’s high-stakes primary. It could be his biggest problem anyway.
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee has a familiar electoral playbook: funnel millions of dollars into an election through a super PAC to boost pro-Israel candidates, attack those critical of Israel or both. The group’s massive spending over recent cycles has established it as a boogeyman among progressives, who’ve attempted to use AIPAC’s intervention, or the threat of it, to activate their base.
With days to go before New York’s primary, AIPAC hasn’t claimed involvement in any competitive races across the city. But it still looms large.
Across the country, attacks over AIPAC have hit a fever pitch this cycle on both sides of the aisle, speaking to the public’s increasingly negative view of Israel. In New York, insurgent challengers in Democratic primaries are using AIPAC as a cudgel to criticize opponents over their support for Israel. Some are suggesting shadowy super PACs are actually funded by the group and have pointed to donors who’ve previously given to AIPAC.
David Greenfield, a former New York City Council member and head of the Met Council, a Jewish charity, described that form of scrutiny as “a little obscene.”
“When we look back, this will have been the high point of anti-AIPAC fervor. I think some of it is irrational and unfair,” Greenfield said. “Crossing from anti-Israel to discriminating against Jewish constituents, I think that’s a very dangerous place to be.”
The tensions over AIPAC are especially prominent in Goldman’s race, where his challenger, former city Comptroller Brad Lander, has repeatedly hammered the incumbent over his ties to the group.
“We can’t let AIPAC and other pro-Netanyahu groups make an example out of me,” Lander wrote in a fundraising plea, one of more than two dozen that mention AIPAC. “Now when pro-Netanyahu groups are trying to control who gets elected to Congress, I’m asking you to join our movement to stop them.”
Lander — who, like Goldman, is Jewish — has positioned himself as more critical of Israel than the incumbent. He’s criticized Goldman for voting for U.S. military aid to Israel, called the country’s actions in Gaza a “genocide” and vowed to never take AIPAC money.
The message has persuaded many in the party’s progressive wing to side with him. The deep-blue 10th District, which covers parts of Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan, is where Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who endorsed Lander, had a dominant performance during last year’s mayoral primary.
At a “solidarity rally” for Jews and Muslims in Brooklyn on Sunday, Lander drew cheers from the hundreds gathered when he said he won’t take money from AIPAC. Mamdani appeared as a featured guest.
Goldman, who’s said the “legal terminology” of genocide should be avoided, has also criticized Israel. But no matter how much he tries to neutralize Lander’s attacks, they remain a prominent factor in the race.
The incumbent rolled out an ad denouncing President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the Iran war. He suggested he and Lander aren’t so different, saying last month: “We are both progressive Zionists who believe in Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state, and we both support a two-state solution to bring peace to the region.” Goldman has also tried to shift focus away from Israel, arguing voters are more interested in kitchen table issues. And he’s even returned campaign donations he received from AIPAC, which endorsed him (though he still receives contributions from people who’ve donated through the organization).
When asked if AIPAC’s endorsement is harming him in the race, Goldman said: “It’s quite possible that it is.” But he took issue with Lander’s rhetoric around the group, which he’s called a “dog whistle.”
“It’s just continuing a pattern of lying to and deceiving voters with buzzwords and litmus tests that are not factual,” he said. “I am very concerned that people — Jews like Brad, who are using Israel and AIPAC as a wedge issue in a race — ultimately may win this battle, but do serious damage to the Jewish community.”
Speaking to Blue Light News after Sunday’s event, Lander called that assertion “cynical.”
“I find that language offensive. Like, I don’t want the support of antisemites. I’m a proud Jew, I wear it on my sleeve,” he said. “What AIPAC is doing is a shanda, is bad for American democracy, is of course bad for Palestinians who are created b’tzelem Elohim, in God’s image, is bad for Israel, has shredded U.S. credibility in the world. And most people in this district, including, I believe most Jews in this district, agree with me.”
Lander acknowledged there’s no evidence of AIPAC super PACs getting involved in the race — either through its known entity or a newly created group, a strategy it’s employed in other races. But he pointed to AIPAC supporters donating to Goldman’s campaign and through a joint fundraising committee supporting Goldman along with Rep. Adriano Espaillat, who’s also facing a tough primary.
Lander said the “whole set of tropes around Jews and money” and rising antisemitism makes him “very anxious.” Still, he accused AIPAC of “corroding our democracy and making Jews less safe.”
During a debate Monday, the candidates were asked if they believe AIPAC is hurting the Democratic Party. Lander said it is — “by the way it spends money” and “demanding unconditional U.S. support for Netanyahu’s wars.”
Goldman said AIPAC “has some real problems and is harmful in many ways.”
“But they are an organization that I coordinate — or that I discuss things with — as is J Street, as are many, many other people, and I will always be independently focused on this issue,” Goldman continued.
Lander’s campaign quickly clipped that quote and shared it online. Goldman accused Lander of taking his words out of context “to mislead the public.”
The exchange underscores just how salient attacks over AIPAC are in Democratic primaries. But some are raising concerns.
In an interview with POLITICO last month, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, one of a handful of Jewish governors, said criticisms of AIPAC spending have “been used cynically by some to try and silence certain voices, to try and say that certain people participating in politics shouldn’t count or should be viewed in a toxic way.”
Halie Soifer, CEO of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, which is backing Goldman and Espaillat, said the rhetoric across Democratic primaries “has shifted into what I consider to be a dangerous place in this election cycle.”
“I’m concerned about the public demonization of perhaps what started as AIPAC, but now appears to have grown into rhetoric that includes the Israel lobby or Zionists,” Soifer said — noting that “can very quickly” blur into antisemitism.
While Lander has made criticizing Israel central to his campaign, Greenfield said he doesn’t think he’s crossed a line. But candidates in other races, Greenfield continued, are “seeing AIPAC ghosts wherever they turn.”
One race he thinks that’s happening is the contest to replace retiring Rep. Nydia Velázquez.
Assemblymember Claire Valdez, who has the backing of Mamdani and the city chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, has sought to tie her most prominent opponent, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, to AIPAC. Both have called Israel’s actions in Gaza a “genocide,” though Valdez has frequently criticized Reynoso for taking so long to use the term.
She’s suggested that Real Fight NYC, a super PAC boosting Reynoso, is funded by AIPAC — despite there being no clear evidence of that. Real Fight NYC, which did not respond to a request for comment, will not have to disclose its donors until after the primary. But at least one donor to it has emerged: the American Federation of Teachers.
Valdez’s campaign pointed to AIPAC funneling money into shell PACs in other races, as well as a report that Reynoso supporters have also donated to AIPAC. But Reynoso has insisted he doesn’t take AIPAC money, and his campaign said it returned the money referenced in the story.
“These false accusations are an attempt to distract voters from the real issues,” said Jasmine Gripper, head of the state Working Families Party, which is backing Reynoso. “We should be focused on improving people’s lives, not spreading misinformation.”
Morris Katz, a top Mamdani strategist and Valdez adviser, wrote in a since-deleted X post that it’s “deeply dishonest” for progressives to “pretend that a new PAC just emerging now is anything other than an AIPAC shell.”
Patrick Dorton, a spokesperson for AIPAC’s main super PAC, United Democracy Project, has denied involvement in the race. As far as playing in other local primaries, Dorton said on Sunday that they’re “evaluating all of the New York races very carefully” but “don’t have anything to announce right now.”
Espaillat, like Goldman, is endorsed by AIPAC. In his run to retain his seat in upper Manhattan and the Bronx, progressive organizer Darializa Avila Chevalier has made criticizing the group a mainstay of her campaign, with her supporters suggesting some of the super PACs supporting Espaillat are funded by AIPAC.
The incumbent recently had his endorsement from the New York Progressive Action Network rescinded because it said he “has continued to accept money from AIPAC-related entities, has not signed the Block the Bombs Act, and recently declined to call the destruction of Gaza a genocide.” When asked if he broke a promise not to accept AIPAC money, Espaillat said he hasn’t “broken any promise in my political career.”
A recent poll commissioned by Justice Democrats, a pro-Avila Chevalier group, found 56 percent of likely Democratic voters in the district had a somewhat or very unfavorable view of AIPAC. Espaillat was asked in a debate Tuesday if he regrets accepting its support following the war in Gaza.
“No one dictates or tells me how to vote. My constituents do that,” he said, quickly pivoting to Avila Chevalier’s support from American Priorities, a super PAC seeking to counter pro-Israel entities.
That group is also supporting Lander and Valdez. Goldman and Reynoso have also criticized their opponents over American Priorities’ involvement.
But during their debate, Avila Chevalier once again turned the conversation back to AIPAC.
“I’d like to note that my opponent has yet to actually clearly and directly answer the question regarding his AIPAC money,” she said.
President Donald Trump said early Saturday he would push to get the $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization fund” codified into law if the Senate does not confirm his attorney general pick, Todd Blanche.
The fund has emerged as a key issue stalling Blanche’s confirmation, with Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), who are both departing the Senate after the midterms, withholding their support in the Senate Judiciary Committee unless the White House commits to shelving the proposal in writing.
Now, Trump says the fund is back on the table, and maybe he’ll even keep Blanche on in an acting capacity if he can’t get his way in Congress next week.
“If Senators Cornyn and Tillis, both upset because I wouldn’t Endorse them (they lost, and quit, respectively!), aren’t going to approve Todd Blanche, one of the most respected professionals, according to everybody, in the Country, to be the United States Attorney General, then I will keep Todd as Acting A.G., and push hard to get the Anti-Weaponization Bill, which takes care of those who have been so badly treated by the Crooked Joe Biden (and Obuma!) Administration (I get nothing, although I was treated horribly!), PASSED,” he wrote.
“Todd Blanche was a voice of reason!” Trump wrote. “It will immediately be back on the table, and I will get it done.”
The missive comes a day after Trump reluctantly declared the fund “dead” in a Cabinet meeting at Camp David, making Saturday’s post a notable reversal in tactics as he moves from a negotiating posture to digging his heels in.
The fund stems from a settlement negotiated earlier this year that envisioned roughly $1.8 billion being doled out in payments to people who claimed they were unfairly targeted by the federal government during the Biden administration, which could include everyone from people who broke into the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and assaulted police officers to Hunter Biden.
The Justice Department has since indicated it does not intend to move forward with the payments, with Blanche testifying before a congressional committee in June, “We’re not moving forward with the fund, period.”
But Tillis on Saturday wrote that the president’s latest social media barb was proof that he “clearly intends to resurrect the payout pot for punks either by inappropriately establishing another bogus fund or pushing Congress to vote for a bill that the majority of Republicans in the Senate would be against.”
“It’s unfortunate that Todd Blanche, who I consider qualified for the job, will not be confirmed because of this reversal,” the two-term North Carolina senator wrote.
But he teased that a deal may not yet be out of reach: “Hopefully, we can resolve this by Tuesday.”
Public scrutiny of domestic abuse allegations against Rep. Max Miller is quickly mounting. His Republican colleagues have been slow to respond.
New reporting on government documents claiming that Miller poured hot water on his ex-wife, Emily Moreno, held a gun to her head and broke their young daughter’s collarbone has brought a wave of new attention to the Ohio lawmaker’s long-running public marital dispute. This week, Moreno’s lawyer filed for a restraining order against Miller, accusing him of harassing his ex-wife’s counsel.
The surge of attention presents a dilemma for Republicans: speak out against their colleague who is running in a competitive race or face accusations of hypocrisy after hammering multiple similarly scandal-plagued Democrats — including Graham Platner, who recently ended his Maine Senate campaign, and Eric Swalwell, who resigned his House seat in April.
Miller, like Platner and Swalwell, denies any wrongdoing. And so far, those fellow Republicans have been largely silent. A host of prominent GOP leaders nationally and in Ohio either declined to comment or did not respond to inquiries from Blue Light News.
Keeping quiet and hoping for the best could be a risky strategy. Nonpartisan handicappers at the Cook Political Report have already upped Democrats’ chances to take the Cleveland-area seat, and House Democratic campaign brass is bullish about Miller’s opponent, ironworker Brian Poindexter, who has for months raised the abuse claims against the incumbent.
“These are serious allegations and deserve the full attention of law enforcement,” Poindexter said in a statement this week. “If all the allegations against Congressman Miller prove to be true, Max Miller should be in jail, not worried about retaining a seat in Congress.”
Even before the latest allegations were published by Mother Jones, which have not been independently confirmed by Blue Light News, Miller sued his ex-wife and her legal team for defamation. He argued that they made “false, malicious, and defamatory statements wrongly accusing [him] of being a violent and abusive husband and father.”
Miller’s campaign spokesperson said in a statement “this narrative has gone on long enough.”
“The facts speak for themselves: the court has continued to permit him joint custody of his child. If there were credible evidence supporting these outrageous accusations, that simply would not be the case,” the spokesperson, Abigail Angelos, said. “Congressman Miller will continue to vigorously defend his reputation against false and reckless allegations designed to inflame public opinion rather than reflect reality.”
A spokesperson for Moreno, Stefan Mychajliw, referred to the recent restraining order filing said in a statement: “There is a demonstrable pattern of repeated violent and dangerous behavior and the filing speaks for itself.”
Republicans are approaching a potential make-or-break moment next week: Aug. 5 is the last day to replace Miller on the ballot, and at least some in the party are quietly raising alarms with the House majority potentially teetering on just a few competitive seats.
One GOP operative granted anonymity to speak candidly accused some fellow Republicans of “burying their heads in the sand” and called the situation “Graham Platner on steroids.”
“What happens when Democrats run ad after ad targeting GOP voters about Miller abusing the daughter of a pro-Trump MAGA senator?” the person said. “What does that do to GOP turnout? How does that affect our candidates at the top of the ticket who are already in tough races?”
Moreno is the daughter of Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno, who has said little about the unfolding legal battle.
“Senator Moreno’s top priority is the safety and well-being of his daughter and granddaughter. While he does not litigate these matters in the media or respond to baseless public attacks, he will do whatever it takes to ensure a just outcome for his family,” Reagan McCarthy, a spokesperson for the senator, said.
Other prominent Ohio Republicans also did not respond to requests for comment made through spokespeople, including Sen. Jon Husted, governor nominee Vivek Ramaswamy and Vice President JD Vance.
Before Miller’s election to Congress in 2022, he worked for President Donald Trump doing advance work. He is a mainstay of the MAGA universe, with deep personal ties to many of his House GOP colleagues — despite his outspoken criticism of Speaker Mike Johnson. Miller also previously faced accusations from former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham, which he has denied through an attorney.
The drumbeat of allegations about Miller has put some of his House colleagues in an awkward position. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) said she knows both Miller and Moreno “personally,” noting that she had a joint baby shower with Moreno hosted by former Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
“What I hate about this entire situation is that these articles the press are putting out have been very nasty especially with accusations and it is only hurting one person… their daughter. I do not know Max to be a violent person and have only ever found him to be incredibly kind and honorable,” Luna said in a text message.
She added, “I will also not disparage Emily. She comes from a wonderful family and Senator Moreno is one of the best in the Senate. I think this divorce has been incredibly painful for both parties involved and would ask the press to consider those facts.”
One Republican lawmaker, outgoing Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina, called the allegations against Miller “horrific.”
“They must be investigated, and if true, he should resign immediately,” she said in a statement.
Several Democrats, including the leadership of the Democratic Women’s Caucus, have also said that the House Ethics Committee must open an investigation into Miller.
“The recent reports of domestic violence and child abuse against Representative Max Miller are deeply disturbing and Congress can’t ignore them,” the leaders of the caucus, Reps. Teresa Leger Fernández of New Mexico, Emilia Sykes of Ohio and Hillary Scholten of Michigan, said in a joint statement. “Allegations of violence against women and children have to be met with the utmost seriousness.”
Johnson has also deferred to the Ethics Committee, which has not announced any action regarding Miller. The independent Office of Congressional Conduct also declined to comment on the allegations and whether they would be investigating it.
The speaker was asked last week why Republicans allow Miller and Rep. Cory Mills of Florida, who has also faced domestic abuse allegations, in their conference— especially after Democrats dumped Platner following a sexual assault accusation first reported by Blue Light News. Mills, like Miller, has denied wrongdoing.
Johnson responded that “the key word there is allegation.”
“We have a process here,” Johnson told reporters at a news conference. “I’m not in the business of commenting on investigations as they’re in process, and we’ll see how that shakes out.”
But waiting for the results of a potentially years-long Ethics investigation might not cut it for Republicans who are under 100 days out from the midterms. The abuse allegations have handed Democrats an emotional campaign talking point, and created difficult questions for Miller’s fellow Republicans.
Rep. Jim Jordan, perhaps the most prominent Ohio Republican in Congress, brushed off questions about Miller during a Thursday CNN interview, calling it a “family matter.”
“I know Max is a good man. I was up campaigning for him, I hope he wins reelection,” Jordan said in the interview. “He’s done a good job as a member of Congress, and we should all pray for his family. These are all difficult times that they’re going through, we understand that. These kinds of situations always are.”
The GOP operative said Republicans “can expect a lot more awkward moments like Jim Jordan on BLN so long as Miller is serving in Congress.”
House Majority PAC, a well-financed super PAC aligned with Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, isn’t shying from the situation. Already the PAC has spent over $1 million in the Cleveland media market, and spokesperson CJ Warnke said HMP is “willing to do whatever it takes to take back the House, and nothing is off the table.”
“Democrats are expanding the map deeper into Trump territory by the day, and Brian Poindexter will defeat the scandal plagued Max Miller,” he said.
Meredith Lee Hill contributed to this report.
Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley rescheduled a planned vote on Todd Blanche’s nomination as attorney general late Friday in a preemptive move as negotiations between the Trump administration and GOP holdouts continue.
The vote, now set for Tuesday after a scheduled Thursday vote was postponed, isn’t an indication that a deal allowing for Blanche’s confirmation is near, so much as it is a nod to Judiciary Committee rules that require three days of notice for a panel meeting.
There is no sign that President Donald Trump is about to acquiesce to the unflinching demands of Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), who wants a controversial settlement agreement between Trump and the IRS substantially pared back.
Cornyn, who lost his primary to a Trump-endorsed candidate, wants the Justice Department to nullify a $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” and limit the scope of a tax audit immunity component of the pact.
Trump told reporters earlier Friday the fund is “dead” but added “I wish it weren’t.”
“I’d like to see them compensated,” he added, referring to people he considers victims of government abuse, including participants in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack.
To advance Tuesday, Blanche needs to pick up Cornyn and Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), another senator on the panel with similar concerns. He can’t lose any GOP votes if he wants to be reported favorably out of the Judiciary Committee.
“Chairman Grassley wants Todd Blanche’s nomination to be successful,” said a Judiciary Committee spokesperson, who declined to be named. “Noticing the markup gives more time for the White House to secure the votes for the President’s nominee. Grassley would like to see Blanche confirmed before the August recess as he has an excellent record restoring law and order and keeping Americans safe.”
- Trump puts his ‘anti-weaponization fund’ back on the table
- ‘Platner on steroids’: Max Miller abuse claims have Republicans silently sweating
- It might take ‘a lightning bolt from God’ to get these Senate Democratic hopefuls to bow for independents
- Blanche vote is rescheduled, but there’s no deal
- Reflecting pool damage was the result of botched work, not vandals, DOJ says
- Pentagon ends leadership of Ukraine aid group as US distances from Europe
- New disclosures reveal $9M in corporate donations to Trump’s Freedom 250
- Oil industry warns refining limits could keep energy prices high
- Scalise will kick off August campaign sprint in marquee Nebraska House race
- Trump needles Cornyn as Blanche remains blocked
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