Pro-Palestinian group may have raised money for Hamas, broke donation laws: state AG

Virginia's top lawyer is opening an investigation into a Muslim charity, saying his office has "reason to believe" the group could be operating illegally and unlawfully benefiting terrorist organizations.

GOP Attorney General Jason Miyares announced he is opening a probe into AJP Educational Foundation, Inc., which does business under the name American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), a group that purports to educate the public on "how the people of Palestine have been living under occupation for decades."

"We believe once Americans know the truth that their tax dollars support the longest-lasting and the last military occupation in modern history they won’t stand for it and will demand that Congress change our foreign policy in the Middle East to one that is more balanced and just for everyone living in the Holy Land," the group's website states. 

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Miyares says his office's Consumer Protection Section has reason to believe the organization, headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, may be soliciting contributions in the commonwealth without first having registered with the commissioner of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

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The AG will also investigate allegations the group may have used funds raised for illegal purposes under state law, including benefiting or providing support to terrorist organizations.

Those allegations stem from a decades-old legal battle against the group waged by Stanley and Joyce Boim, whose 17-year-old son David was killed by Hamas in 1996. 

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The Boims have been seeking retribution for their son's death from U.S.-based groups that fund terrorist activity. They allege AMP and AJP Educational Foundation, Inc. are "alter egos" of three Islamic fundraising groups held liable several years for their son's death. After those groups paid only a fraction of what the court ordered them to pay, they claimed they had no money and shut down. 

Some time later, the Boims say, AMP and AJP both came into operation while having an "overlap in leadership, same organizational purpose, similarity of operations, and unlawful motive or intent to escape liability," they allege in the lawsuit. 

AMP issued a statement Tuesday calling the attorney general's announcement a "smear."

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"As an organization of American Muslims dedicated to speaking up for the human rights of the Palestinian people, we refuse to allow empty threats and baseless smears to stop us from advocating for a just and humane American foreign policy in Palestine and elsewhere," the group said.