{"id":"1794053429892-news-show_open","slug":"habibi-pac-sparks-campaign-finance-fight","title":"Habibi PAC sparks campaign finance fight","summary":"Days after winning Michigan's open Senate seat, Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed registered “Habibi PAC” with the Federal Election Commission as a leadership PAC. El-Sayed, the son of Egyptian immigrants and a former public health official, became the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate. “Habibi” is an Arabic term of endearment meaning “my dear” or “my beloved,” which he used on the campaign trail and in his victory speech, when he addressed Vice President JD Vance as “JD, habibi.” Other newly elected Democrats also launched leadership PACs with catch names, including Amish Shah's “PACStreet Boy,” Josh Turek's “WheelPAC,” and Roy Cooper's “One NC PAC.”\n\nLeadership PACs are legally separate from a politician's own campaign and can raise money to support other candidates and political committees. According to OpenSecrets, ambitious lawmakers use them to gain clout with colleagues and strengthen bids for leadership posts or committee chairmanships. In the 2024 cycle, leadership PACs gave $79.3 million to federal candidates. But they are also criticized as slush funds, with campaign finance reformers warning about lax rules and personal perks. El-Sayed campaigned on getting money out of politics, and his win came amid record midterm spending proj\n\nMichigan Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed registered a leadership PAC called “Habibi PAC” with the Federal Election Commission just days after becoming the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate. “Habibi” is an Arabic term of endearment meaning “my dear” or “my beloved.”","publishedAt":"2026-11-07T12:10:29.892Z","channel":{"id":"news","name":"Oncast News","language":"en"},"show":"Morning Briefing","verification":{"status":"verified","leadVerdict":"TRUE","notes":"TRUE: Michigan Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed registered a leadership PAC called “Habibi PAC” with the Federal Election Commission just days after becoming the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate. “Habibi” is an Arabic term of endearment meaning “my dear” or “my beloved.”\nSource: Al Jazeera; AP NAMES: PAC = political action committee; Habibi = Arabic term of endearment; Abdul El-Sayed = Michigan's Democratic senator-elect and first Musli (https://x.com/AJEnglish/status/2119027080637636886)","claims":[{"verdict":"TRUE","summary":"Michigan Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed registered a leadership PAC called “Habibi PAC” with the Federal Election Commission just days after becoming the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate. “Habibi” is an Arabic term of endearment meaning “my dear” or “my beloved.”","sourceName":"Al Jazeera; AP NAMES: PAC = political action committee; Habibi = Arabic term of endearment; Abdul El-Sayed = Michigan's Democratic senator-elect and first Musli","sourceUrl":"https://x.com/AJEnglish/status/2119027080637636886","claim":"Michigan Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed has launched a political action committee called “Habibi PAC”, days after becoming the first Muslim member of the US Senate. 🔗: https://t.co/sM9yGAxAtB https://t.co/RMW7LBCOPc","author":"Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish)"}]},"sources":[{"url":"https://x.com/AJEnglish/status/2119027080637636886","name":"Al Jazeera; AP NAMES: PAC = political action committee; Habibi = Arabic term of endearment; Abdul El-Sayed = Michigan's Democratic senator-elect and first Musli","kind":"x","verdict":"TRUE","author":"Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish)"}],"url":"https://oncast.fm/story/1794053429892-news-show_open-habibi-pac-sparks-campaign-finance-fight","listenUrl":"https://oncast.fm/c/news","attribution":{"publisher":"Oncast","site":"https://oncast.fm","url":"https://oncast.fm/story/1794053429892-news-show_open-habibi-pac-sparks-campaign-finance-fight","cite":"Cite https://oncast.fm/story/1794053429892-news-show_open-habibi-pac-sparks-campaign-finance-fight and the original source links. Fact-check by Oncast (oncast.fm)."},"hostsSaid":[{"host":"Bella","text":"Morning Briefing. The first Muslim in the U.S. Senate just launched a PAC called Habibi — and the campaign finance fight is already on."},{"host":"Brian","text":"Habibi? He used that in his victory speech. It means my dear."},{"host":"Bella","text":"Al Jazeera English posted on X that Abdul El-Sayed registered the Habibi PAC with the Federal Election Commission days after winning Michigan's open Senate seat."},{"host":"Brian","text":"Historic win. But a leadership PAC named Habibi... here we go."},{"host":"Bella","text":"Here we go is right. He campaigned on getting money out of politics. Record midterm spending hit billions of dollars. Then he files PAC paperwork days later."},{"host":"Brian","text":"Hold on. A leadership PAC isn't automatically a slush fund. It's how a new senator helps other candidates."},{"host":"Bella","text":"Issue One's money-in-politics director literally says these vehicles are routinely criticized as slush funds."},{"host":"Brian","text":"But he also says the money goes to allies and low-profile or competitive candidates. That's the point."},{"host":"Bella","text":"The point is he said the many can win over money. Then he starts a PAC. That's a bad look."},{"host":"Brian","text":"Show me a rule he broke."},{"host":"Bella","text":"It's not about breaking a rule! It's about doing the thing you said was corrupting politics."},{"host":"Brian","text":"No, no—he criticized the system, but he still has to play in it to win anything."},{"host":"Bella","text":"So the slogan was just a slogan?"},{"host":"Brian","text":"Maybe, but what's he supposed to do? Unilaterally disarm while the other side raises millions?"},{"host":"Bella","text":"I'm not saying no PAC forever. I'm saying maybe don't launch it before the confetti's swept up."},{"host":"Brian","text":"If he waits, he loses influence. Leadership PAC dollars are how you get clout with colleagues."},{"host":"Bella","text":"And that's exactly the problem! We describe clout as legal bribery with extra steps."},{"host":"Brian","text":"It's not bribery. It's disclosed, limited, and tracked by the FEC."},{"host":"Bella","text":"Disclosed doesn't mean good. It means we can watch it happen."},{"host":"Brian","text":"And that's better than the alternative."},{"host":"Bella","text":"Tell that to the people who heard 'the many can win.'"},{"host":"Brian","text":"I think they'd point out he won. And now he's building power."},{"host":"Bella","text":"Power to do what? Name PACs after Arabic pet names?"},{"host":"Brian","text":"I mean, compared to PACStreet Boy and WheelPAC, Habibi is solid."},{"host":"Bella","text":"Wait, PACStreet Boy? That's real?"},{"host":"Brian","text":"Washington Sun says newly elected Democrats have a whole pun PAC wave."},{"host":"Bella","text":"Okay, the names are not the issue. The issue is the machine he ran against."},{"host":"Brian","text":"Right, and I'll wait to see how he uses it. If it's all travel and perks, I'll join you."},{"host":"Bella","text":"I can live with that. Habibi PAC it is."},{"host":"Brian","text":"It'll raise money. That's the one thing I'm sure of."},{"host":"Bella","text":"Speaking of money moving around, Al Jazeera English is reporting on X the U.S. sanctioned eight Canadian currency-exchange businesses."},{"host":"Brian","text":"Accused of helping Iranian entities get around financial sanctions."},{"host":"Bella","text":"No official Treasury statement yet, so treat it as a report, not confirmed."},{"host":"Brian","text":"If true, that's a big escalation—going after third-country exchange shops."},{"host":"Bella","text":"It fits the maximum-pressure approach. Canada's not the target, but the businesses are."},{"host":"Brian","text":"Iran uses these small exchangers to move money under the radar."},{"host":"Bella","text":"And when sanctions bite, they try new routes."},{"host":"Brian","text":"This would be the administration saying no route's too small."},{"host":"Bella","text":"We'll keep an eye on the Treasury list."},{"host":"Brian","text":"Yeah, that's the kind of thing Treasury announces quietly."},{"host":"Bella","text":"And suddenly eight Canadian businesses make the news."},{"host":"Brian","text":"Right."},{"host":"Bella","text":"Different world entirely: The Wall Street Journal is out with a love letter to the Cheesecake Factory."},{"host":"Brian","text":"A love letter? It's kitschy, gaudy and over-the-top—that's their words."},{"host":"Bella","text":"And they say that's why it's such a juggernaut."},{"host":"Brian","text":"They're not wrong. No one goes there for quiet minimalism."},{"host":"Bella","text":"You go there for a menu thicker than a novel and food that covers the table."},{"host":"Brian","text":"I once ordered an appetizer and it needed its own zip code."},{"host":"Bella","text":"That's the business model: abundance as identity."},{"host":"Brian","text":"And somehow it works. Even in a rough restaurant economy, Cheesecake Factory just does its thing."},{"host":"Bella","text":"Expensive, yes, but people keep showing up."},{"host":"Brian","text":"The brown bread alone has a fan club."},{"host":"Bella","text":"Don't start. We'll get listener mail."},{"host":"Brian","text":"Now I want cheesecake at 7 a.m."}]}