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Pro-Israel AIPAC offshoot spent $2.3M to help Shri Thanedar in Michigan primary [1]
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Date: 2025-05
The latter was used as a pop-up super PAC in an Oregon congressional election earlier this year. Voters For Responsive Government spent $3.2 million attacking Democrat Susheela Jayapal before having to report the source of its funding.
Blue Water Action’s only Michigan donor was a commercial real estate company, SF properties, run in part by former Michigan Republican Party chair Bobby Schostak, who has previously voiced the importance of “unyielding support” for Israel. The company donated $75,000.
AIPAC’s indirect defense of Thanedar marked the culmination of a reversal for the first-term congressman. As a state legislator in 2021, Thanedar had co-sponsored a resolution calling Israel an “apartheid state” and urging an end to federal aid for the country.
In his first run for Congress in 2022, United Democracy Project — the same PAC that helped fund attacks on Thanedar’s primary opponent this year — spent more than $1.4 million attacking Thanedar and another $2.7 million supporting a primary opponent, Adam Hollier.
Free trip for Thanedar
After taking office, in August 2023, Thanedar traveled to Tel Aviv in a week-long trip paid for by the AIPAC-linked American Israel Education Foundation, which included lodging, food and members of Thanedar’s family, according to the disclosure.
After that trip, Thanedar told the publication Jewish Insider he had a “big learning experience” since taking office and now believes Israel to be a “vibrant, liberal democracy” and “important ally” to the U.S.
Waters, by contrast, launched her congressional bid with a “world peace agenda” and forceful opposition to the conflict in Gaza. In February, Waters announced she would vote "uncommitted" in Michigan's presidential primary as a form of protest against the war.
Fervent divisions over U.S. support for Israel during the war have become a lightning rod in some Democratic contests.
“Our sole criterion for supporting or opposing candidates is their position on strengthening the US-Israel relationship,” AIPAC spokesperson Marshall Wittmann told Bridge in a statement.
“Since entering Congress, Rep. Thanedar has strongly supported standing with Israel as it battles Iranian terrorist proxies. He has cosponsored important legislation and supported critical security assistance for America’s ally Israel.”
AIPAC support for other Michigan candidates
Along with Thanedar, AIPAC has bundled contributions to eight other Michigan congressional candidates so far this cycle, according to a Bridge review of federal election data.
That includes all six Michigan Republicans in the U.S. House, along with Democratic Reps. Hillary Scholten of Grand Rapids and Haley Stevens of Birmingham. Thanedar, however, received the most of any candidate: About $147,00 of the $900,000 he raised from donors.
Democrats Hill Harper and Nasser Beydoun previously alleged the pro-Israel group offered them $20 million in funding to run against U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Detroit, the only Palestinian American in Congress. But neither did so.
Elsewhere, AIPAC's United Democracy Project super PAC reportedly spent millions of dollars this year on successful campaigns to oust U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman of New York and U.S. Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri.
Two years ago, AIPAC spent more than $4 million to oppose then-U.S. Rep. Andy Levin, a Jewish progressive, in a Democratic primary against Stevens.
Thanedar draws ire of pro-Palestinian activists
Thanedar, a wealthy entrepreneur, has largely self-funded his own campaign this year, lending $5.2 million of the roughly $7.1 million his re-election committee took in.
His pivot toward Israel hasn’t come without cost.
Some of his district events have been disrupted by protestors, there have been protests outside his home and a fight erupted during a confrontation with activists last December at a Detroit event.
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[1] Url:
https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/pro-israel-aipac-offshoot-spent-23m-help-shri-thanedar-michigan-primary
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