Former congresswoman urges limits on PAC donations in US elections

Marie Newman, a Democrat who represented the 3rd Congressional District on Chicago’s Southwest Side and suburbs, which was heavily populated by Palestinian American voters, told Arab News she was beaten because of her support for Palestinian, Muslim and Arab causes. (US House of Congress)
Marie Newman, a Democrat who represented the 3rd Congressional District on Chicago’s Southwest Side and suburbs, which was heavily populated by Palestinian American voters, told Arab News she was beaten because of her support for Palestinian, Muslim and Arab causes. (US House of Congress)
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Updated 23 March 2025
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Former congresswoman urges limits on PAC donations in US elections

Former congresswoman urges limits on PAC donations in US elections
  • Marie Newman defeated Democrat Congressman Dan Lipinski — who frequently voted in support of Israel — and rejected overtures from pro-Israel lobbyists to support their causes

CHICAGO: A former congresswoman who represented one of the largest concentrations of Arab and Muslims voters is urging the adoption of laws to limit how much groups with foreign lobbying interests can contribute to candidates in elections.

Marie Newman, a Democrat who represented the 3rd Congressional District on Chicago’s Southwest Side and suburbs, which was heavily populated by Palestinian American voters, told Arab News she was beaten because of her support for Palestinian, Muslim and Arab causes and by enormous donations made to her rival by pro-Israel political action committees (PACs).

In 2017, Newman defeated Democrat Congressman Dan Lipinski — who frequently voted in support of Israel — and rejected overtures from pro-Israel lobbyists to support their causes, but immediately faced opposition from pro-Israel PACs when she rejected conditions they demanded in exchange for their support.

“AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Council) hated me with every ounce of their being and made it very clear to me. I refused in the early days of the campaign in 2017 when I first ran to take their money and I really wouldn’t talk to them because I had no interest in talking to them,” Newman said.

“I knew that they would give me a set of talking points on how to address Israel, Palestine and the Arab world and I wasn’t interested. They spent a million-and-a-half-dollars to get me out of office representing the constituents of that district.”

Newman details her election fight against the money poured into the race by AIPAC and the Democratic Majority for Israel lobbying groups in her new book, “A Life Made from Scratch,” which was released this past week.

She advocates for non-violence between Israelis and Palestinians and supported the two-state solution. During the Gaza war, after leaving office, she was also very clear in her criticism of the use of violence by Hamas and Israel’s government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“It’s important to make that clear, that it’s a genocide in Gaza and they must be stopped. So, this position we (the Democrats) have had, that we are betrothed to the pro-Israel lobby is wrong,” Newman said, arguing that she was in line with the majority of the American Jewish community nationally and with mainstream Americans in the Illinois region.

“By the way, 60 percent of Jewish people support a ceasefire and de-occupying the region. I have been talking about getting rid of the occupation in Palestine for close to 10 years. Most, over half of American Jewish people, believe that there should not be an occupation. It’s not a radical idea.”

Newman was attacked in mailers, paid for by PAC money, which falsely accused her of being anti-Israel and antisemitic. Ironically, Newman’s husband is Jewish.

She called for all PAC money, whether from a foreign lobby like Israel, or from a domestic group lobbying for corporations and specialty industries, to be eliminated or drastically limited in election campaigns. She said the issue is not just about foreign influence, but also the enormous influence PACs have on important domestic issues.

“The reasons we don’t have healthcare is because of corporate PACs. The reason we don’t have solid relationships everywhere in the world is because of these foreign entity PACs like AIPAC and Democratic Majority for Israel,” Newman said.

“The most egregious corporate players are in health insurance, the pharmaceutical industry, big oil, and the banking industry. Those four industries own Congress. Something over 90 percent of Congress takes corporate PAC money from those entities frequently.”

Newman noted that 12 members of Congress were forced out of office in the last election because of their criticism of Israel’s government.

“There’re 12 of us who are no longer in Congress because (AIPAC uses) the same formula where they either create a scandal, a fake scandal or false accusations, and then they beat you down. They raise millions of dollars against you. They put the money into the election race and they support your opponent,” Newman said, noting that the money is used to make the false accusations believable to voters.

“They make an accusation, and then they raise huge amounts of money, enormous amounts of money, sometimes without limits, and then use that money to push that accusation against you, even if the accusation is false … They used the money to weaponize antisemitism.”

Newman rejected assertions against her of antisemitism or that she is anti-Israel, and emphasized: “At the same time, you want to be fair to people, the Palestinians.”

Election law limits to $6.600 the sum a married couple who are voters can give to a candidate in one election, Newman said.

She said it was unfair to American voters that PACs representing domestic industries such as healthcare, banks or the pharmaceutical industry, or that advocate for policies of foreign countries, can donate unlimited amounts of money to candidates drawing what American voters are allowed to contribute.

“It’s one of the reasons I wrote my book. PAC money drives everything in Washington D.C. and, sadly, what happens when corporations and when politicians are beholden to corporate PACs and foreign entity PACs is that that money takes away the voice of the American people and it is replaced by the ‘talking points’ of those PACs,” Newman said.

While Newman was serving, pro-Israel PACs and political activists lobbied the Illinois legislature to redraw the congressional district maps. Newman’s 3rd District was divided and merged into five other districts to dilute the pro-Arab vote.

She was beaten when in 2022 she was forced into a contest in a newly drawn congressional district with the incumbent, three-term pro-Israel Democratic Congressman Sean Casten.


Ukraine’s Zelensky says Russian artillery fire has not subsided

Ukraine’s Zelensky says Russian artillery fire has not subsided
Updated 51 min 6 sec ago
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Ukraine’s Zelensky says Russian artillery fire has not subsided

Ukraine’s Zelensky says Russian artillery fire has not subsided
  • “Therefore, there is no trust in words coming from Moscow,” Zelensky said

KYIV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that, according to his top commander, Russian artillery fire had not subsided despite the Kremlin’s proclamation of an Easter ceasefire.
“As of now, according to the Commander-in-Chief reports, Russian assault operations continue on several frontline sectors, and Russian artillery fire has not subsided,” Zelensky wrote on the social media platform X.
“Therefore, there is no trust in words coming from Moscow.”


He recalled that Russia had last month rejected a US-proposed full 30-day ceasefire and said that if Moscow agreed to “truly engage in a format of full and unconditional silence, Ukraine will act accordingly — mirroring Russia’s actions.”
“If a complete ceasefire truly takes hold, Ukraine proposes extending it beyond the Easter day of April 20,” Zelensky wrote.


Ministers from Pakistan, Afghanistan discuss security, trade cooperation, border management

Ministers from Pakistan, Afghanistan discuss security, trade cooperation, border management
Updated 9 sec ago
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Ministers from Pakistan, Afghanistan discuss security, trade cooperation, border management

Ministers from Pakistan, Afghanistan discuss security, trade cooperation, border management
  • Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on visit to Kabul
  • Border management also on agenda in Ishaq Dar’s talks in Kabul

ISLAMABAD: Ishaq Dar, Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, held discussions on Saturday with Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi on security, border management and regional trade, Pakistan’s Foreign Office reported.

Dar arrived in Kabul on Saturday morning for a day-long visit to discuss Islamabad’s security concerns and trade and investment opportunities with Afghanistan amid strained ties between the neighbors.

His visit was taking place amid surging militancy in Pakistan, which Islamabad blames on the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. The Afghan Taliban are accused of providing the group with sanctuaries, allegations that Kabul has repeatedly denied.

Dar’s visit also takes place as Pakistan intensifies its campaign to deport what it says are “illegal immigrants,” mostly Afghan nationals, which it has blamed without evidence for being involved in suicide attacks and militancy in the country. Pakistan’s deportation drive has further soured ties between the two nations.

“The discussions encompassed a comprehensive range of topics pertaining to bilateral relations, underscoring the need to devise strategies for enhancing cooperation across diverse areas of mutual interest, including security, trade, transit, connectivity, and people-to-people contacts,” the foreign office said.

Dar stressed the importance of addressing all issues between the two countries, particularly those related to security and border management, to fully realize the potential for regional trade and connectivity, the foreign office added.

“Both parties reaffirmed their commitment to fostering mutually beneficial relations and agreed on the importance of maintaining high-level engagement,” its statement said.

The deputy prime minister was also scheduled to meet Afghanistan’s Prime Minister Mullah Muhammad Hassan Akhund.

Speaking to the state-run Pakistan Television before leaving for Kabul, Dar acknowledged there had been “coldness” in ties between the countries in recent years.

“I believe the security of Pakistan, its people, their lives and properties, is very important,” Dar said. “So one of our concerns is regarding terrorism, which we will discuss.”

He said there was also immense potential for economic, trade and investment opportunities between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

“Our connection with Central Asian states can be established through rail links, but that’s not possible unless Afghanistan becomes a partner in this,” he said.

Dar’s visit is seen as a continuation of Pakistan’s efforts to engage with Afghanistan despite frosty ties, and its aim to address mutual concerns and explore avenues for cooperation with the country.

 


Russia says Ukraine struck its energy infrastructure 10 times in last 24 hours

Russia says Ukraine struck its energy infrastructure 10 times in last 24 hours
Updated 19 April 2025
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Russia says Ukraine struck its energy infrastructure 10 times in last 24 hours

Russia says Ukraine struck its energy infrastructure 10 times in last 24 hours
  • Both sides have repeatedly accused the other of violating a US-brokered 30-day moratorium

MOSCOW: Russia’s Defense Ministry accused Ukraine on Saturday of attacking Russian energy facilities 10 times over the past 24 hours.
The US brokered a 30-day moratorium in March between Ukraine and Russia against strikes on each other’s energy infrastructure. Both sides have repeatedly accused the other of violating it.
On Friday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, when asked if the energy moratorium was over, said it had already been a month but that no orders from the president had been received to change Russia’s position.


More than 100 inmates make deadly prison break in Chad

More than 100 inmates make deadly prison break in Chad
Updated 19 April 2025
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More than 100 inmates make deadly prison break in Chad

More than 100 inmates make deadly prison break in Chad
  • The break-out occurred late Friday when an uprising happened
  • A local Mongo official said prisoners broke into a manager’s office to steal guns

MONGO, Chad: More than 100 inmates escaped a Chad prison during a shoot-out that left three people dead, and wounded a state governor visiting the facility, officials told AFP on Saturday.
The break-out occurred late Friday when an uprising happened in the high-security penitentiary five kilometers (three miles) from the town of Mongo, in the center of the country.
“There are around 100 who escaped, three dead and three wounded,” Hassan Souleymane Adam, secretary general of the Guera province in which Mongo is located, said.
A local Mongo official, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said prisoners broke into a manager’s office to steal guns.
“A shootout with guards ensued, at the same time the governor arrived. He was wounded,” he said.
The Mongo official confirmed there were three dead, and put the total number of escaped prisoners at 132.
He said the prisoners revolted after complaining about a lack of food.
Chad’s Justice Minister Youssouf Tom told AFP by telephone that he was about to fly to region and would be able to give “precise information once I am at Mongo in the coming hours.”


Russian President Vladimir Putin announces an Easter ceasefire in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin announces an Easter ceasefire in Ukraine
Updated 19 April 2025
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Russian President Vladimir Putin announces an Easter ceasefire in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin announces an Easter ceasefire in Ukraine
  • Ceasefire will last from 6 p.m. Moscow time on Saturday to midnight following Easter Sunday

MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday announced an Easter truce in the conflict in Ukraine starting this evening and lasting till midnight on Sunday.
The short-term ceasefire proposal from Russia comes as President Donald Trump has been pressing both Moscow and Kyiv to agree a truce, but has failed to extract any major concessions from the Kremlin.
“Today from 1800 (1500 GMT) to midnight Sunday (2100 GMT Sunday), the Russian side announces an Easter truce,” Putin said in televised comments, while meeting Russian chief of staff Valery Gerasimov.
Easter, a major holiday for Christians, is celebrated on Sunday.
“I order for this period to stop all military action,” Putin said, calling the truce “based on humanitarian reasons.”
“We are going on the basis that the Ukrainian side will follow our example, while our troops must be ready to resist possible breaches of the truce and provocations by the enemy, any aggressive actions,” Putin said.
He said that Gerasimov had told him Ukraine “more than 100 times... breached an agreement on not striking energy infrastructure.”
Russia on Friday abandoned a moratorium on striking Ukrainian energy targets after each side accused the other of breaking a supposed deal without any formal agreement put in place.
The latest truce proposal will show “how sincere is the Kyiv’s regime’s readiness, its desire and ability to observe agreements and participate in a process of peace talks,” Putin said.
Previous attempts at holding ceasefires for Easter in April 2022 and Orthodox Christmas in January 2023 were not implemented after both sides failed to agree on them.