Texas Gov. Abbott formally requests suspension of CAIR's tax-exempt status
Texas Governor Greg Abbott holds a roundtable discussion with victims, family, and friends affected by the Santa Fe, Texas school shooting at the state capital on May 24, 2018 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Drew Anthony Smith/Getty Images)
AUSTIN - Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has requested the suspension of tax exemption for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).
The governor's Tuesday letter to the U.S. Treasury secretary is the latest in a recent back-and-forth between Abbott and Texas Islamic leaders.
Abbott requests CAIR investigation
What we know:
Abbott addressed his letter to U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, asking for an investigation into CAIR and the suspension of its status as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization.
Abbott says official documents refer to CAIR as a "direct subsidiary of the Muslim Brotherhood and as a 'front group' for Hamas in the United States."
What we don't know:
Bessent hasn't responded publicly to the request at the time of publishing.
Abbott labels CAIR a terrorist organization
The backstory:
Last month, Abbott designated CAIR as a "successor organization" of the Muslim Brotherhood and a Foreign Terrorist Organization under the Texas Penal Code. The designation subjects the organization to potential civil and criminal penalties, including a prohibition from purchasing land in Texas.
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Gov. Abbott designates Muslim Brotherhood, CAIR 'foreign terrorist organizations'
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has issued a proclamation designating two Muslim advocacy groups as foreign terrorist organizations.
In a letter sent to DPS Director Colonel Freeman Martin days later, Abbott accused the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR of having "long made their goals clear: to forcibly impose Sharia law and establish Islam’s 'mastership of the world.'"
Abbott's directive stated that the groups' actions to support terrorism and subvert laws through "violence, intimidation, and harassment are unacceptable and have no place in Texas."
Texas Gov. Abbott directs state police to open criminal probes into Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR
Abbott alleges the groups are promoting radical ideology and seeking to subvert U.S. laws and forcibly impose Sharia law in Texas.
Texas Islamic leaders denounce Abbott
Dig deeper:
After Abbott's actions, the leaders of several Muslim groups in North Texas held a news conference to denounce the governor’s proclamation. They called Abbott's designation dangerous and destructive, denying his claims about the non-profit.
CAIR, which was founded in 1994 and is the nation's largest Muslim civil rights organization, stated in a lawsuit that the proclamation is based on "defamatory" and "provably false statements" and finds no support in Texas law.
Texas Islamic groups call Abbott’s actions ‘unconstitutional’ in lawsuit over ‘terrorist’ designation
Two Texas affiliates of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) filed a federal lawsuit Thursday against Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton, seeking to block enforcement of an executive proclamation that labeled the civil rights organization a "foreign terrorist organization."
The organization stressed that it is an independent American nonprofit that operates in full compliance with laws, and is not a member or affiliate of any foreign organization. CAIR's mission is to enhance the public's understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, and promote justice. The group has vocally condemned all forms of bigotry, unjust violence, and terrorism throughout its history.
The Source: Information in this report comes from the office of the Texas governor and previous FOX Texas Digital coverage.