A pro-Palestinian news outlet linked to Hamas is under investigation by three House committees, urging the Department of Justice to take action. The committee chairpersons wrote a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland accusing The Palestine Chronicle and its associated nonprofit of violating several laws.
The investigation comes after Israeli hostages taken into Gaza by Hamas were found in the home of Abdallah Aljamal, a contributor to The Palestine Chronicle and a spokesman for the Hamas-run Gaza Labor Ministry. Aljamal was killed by the Israel Defense Forces during a rescue operation for the hostages.
The House committee chairs also accused The Palestine Chronicle and People Media Project of having ties to Iran. The outlet’s founder and editor-in-chief, Ramzy Baroud, has been linked to an Iranian-funded media outlet. The lawmakers pointed to a federal statute that states providing support to a foreign terrorist organization can result in fines or imprisonment.
The committee is concerned that the nonprofit misrepresented its finances on tax forms and is urging the DOJ to investigate further. The Ways & Means Committee has already opened a separate investigation into the nonprofit and requested the IRS to revoke its tax-exempt status.
As of now, the nonprofit is also facing a lawsuit from one of the Israeli hostages who was held in Aljamal’s home. Fox News Digital reached out to The Palestine Chronicle and the DOJ for comments but has not received a response.
This investigation highlights the importance of ensuring that organizations operating in the United States are not providing support to terrorist organizations or misrepresenting their finances. It is crucial for the DOJ to thoroughly investigate these allegations to prevent any further misuse of tax-exempt status or support for terrorism.