Phil Klein did some further digging to confirm that, indeed, then Rep. Tom Campbell received $1,300 in campaign donations from Sami Al-Arian, who later “pleaded guilty to conspiring to help associates of the terrorist group Palestinian Islamic Jihad.” Phil observed that when the donations were made, “Al-Arian was already under investigation by the government in 2000 and his publicly radical views were known.”
Campbell then responded and shockingly revealed “not only that Al-Arian donated money to his campaign, but that he visited Al-Arian’s brother-in-law (himself associated with Palestinian Islamic Jihad) in prison.” And if that were not enough, he confirms “that when Al-Arian was fired from the University of South Florida (after controversy generated by a Bill O’Reilly report on Al-Arian’s terrorist ties), he sent a letter to the school protesting the action.”
At least we know where Campbell stands on these issues and for whom he chooses to go to bat. Campbell’s opponents have yet to comment on any of this, but if Campbell should make it through the primary, one thing is certain: Sen. Barbara Boxer will certainly beat him over the head with this.