House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is facing renewed scrutiny over the political support he has received from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, as he seeks to become the next speaker of the House. The New York Democrat announced his candidacy for speaker after Democrats won control of the House in Tuesday's midterm elections. But some incoming progressive lawmakers have stopped short of backing him, while a petition urging House Democrats to choose a different candidate has attracted hundreds of thousands of signatures.
Jeffries' support for Israel has emerged as one of the issues dividing him from parts of the Democratic Party's progressive wing. Campaign finance data compiled by OpenSecrets shows that Jeffries has received substantial support from pro-Israel donors over his congressional career, although figures for the wider pro-Israel donor network should not be conflated with contributions specifically associated with AIPAC. Newsweek has contacted Jeffries' office and AIPAC for comment.
Jeffries met privately with Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law, in August, a meeting that drew criticism from some progressives. The two discussed areas including housing, immigration and the cost of living. Kushner does not hold a formal government position but has represented the Trump administration in international negotiations, including over Gaza.
The meeting became one of the complaints cited by Nicole Whitted, the creator of a petition urging House Democrats not to elect Jeffries as speaker. Whitted told Newsweek that Jeffries' relationships and political decisions raised questions for her about "transparency, political influence, and whose interests Democratic leadership is ultimately serving." There is no evidence that Jeffries' meeting with Kushner was connected to AIPAC or campaign contributions, and the reported subjects of their conversation were domestic policy issues. The answer depends on what is being counted.
For the 2025-2026 election cycle, OpenSecrets lists $49,565 in contributions associated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee among the organizations supporting Jeffries. AIPAC ranked third on that list, behind Capital Group Companies and the Mortgage Bankers Association. OpenSecrets told Newsweek on Friday that the $49,565 attributed to AIPAC represents money from individual donors whose contributions were facilitated via the organization, rather than money donated directly by AIPAC.
It said it groups those contributions under the AIPAC umbrella because AIPAC facilitated them. Jeffries separately received $11,700 in direct contributions from AIPAC's PAC, according to OpenSecrets. The figure is considerably larger when looking at the broader category of pro-Israel contributions rather than AIPAC-associated contributions alone.
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