Bowman threatens lawsuit over accusation he took money from Hamas

The campaign for Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y) is threatening a defamation lawsuit against his opponent, Westchester County Executive George Latimer, over an accusation Bowman took money from Hamas. 

David Mitrani, a lawyer representing the Bowman campaign, sent a letter to the Latimer campaign Tuesday demanding the candidate retract the accusation that Bowman received money from the terrorist group. 

“This statement – that the Congressman’s campaign has taken ‘money from Hamas’ is false,” Mitrani wrote in the letter obtained by The Hill. “Mr. Latimer and the campaign are now on notice that this statement is false. We demand that Mr. Latimer retract his statement, as it is false.”

“Contributions by foreign nationals are prohibited in United States political campaigns under the Federal Election Campaign Act,” Mitrani continued. “In making the statement that Jamaal Bowman for Congress has taken money from a foreign organization or from foreign individuals, Mr. Latimer has accused the campaign of violating the Federal Election Campaign Act.”

The letter, which cites reporting from the Black Westchester, states Latimer made the accusation Saturday, when a woman questioned him about accepting donations from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which also endorsed Latimer in January.

The conversation reportedly took place at the 12th Annual Black History Month Celebration at New Rochelle High School, according to Black Westchester. 

The woman told Latimer that the committee is “supporting problematic right-wing conspiracy theorist-type Republicans” and “pitting two marginalized groups against one another — Blacks and Jews,” the City & State reported.

AIPAC was Latimer biggest donor in the last quarter of 2023. The group gave him $600,000, according to campaign finance reports.

After the woman said Latimer is “taking money from the devil” for the backing he was getting from AIPAC, Latimer fired back, pinning Bowman to Hamas. 

“Bowman is taking money from the devil too, he taking money from Hamas,” Latimer said, according to the letter.

City & State reported that when the woman asked for evidence, Latimer later emailed her an article from the Washington Free Beacon detailing a fundraiser in Los Angeles for Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) and Bowman. The event was hosted by activists critical of Israel, but the article does not suggest that Hamas donated to Bowman’s reelection campaign.

Latimer’s campaign said Tuesday that the letter is a “baseless attack from the scandal-plagued Jamaal Bowman.”

“On the specific issue for which Mr. Bowman is threatening to run to the courts, it is clear that he has accepted support from those who both cheered on and tried to justify Hamas’ unspeakable acts of terrorism, which Mr. Bowman does not deny,” the campaign said.

Bowman, who represents parts of Westchester and the Bronx, is running for reelection and fending off a Democratic primary challenge from Latimer.