Habibi PAC sparks campaign finance fight

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.”

Leadership 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

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.”