AIPAC Donors Back Real Estate Tycoon Who Opposed Gaza Ceasefire for Deep-Blue Chicago Seat

AIPAC donors have rallied behind a Chicago real estate tycoon, Jason Friedman, as he runs for the Democratic seat left vacant by Rep. Danny Davis. Friedman's campaign has pulled ahead in fundraising, with donations totaling over $1.5 million. Notably, nearly 40 of his donors are connected to AIPAC or its associated groups, indicating a strong show of support from pro-Israel donors.

Friedman's candidacy is seen as an early indicator that he has AIPAC's backing. Despite not making Israel a central part of his campaign platform, Friedman has received significant support from major pro-Israel funders, including the American Israel Public Affairs Committee PAC and its super PAC, United Democracy Project. The latter group spent over $100 million in elections last year.

Critics argue that receiving money from AIPAC donors who are linked to a far-right-wing government executing a genocide raises questions about Friedman's stance on U.S.-Israel relations. Former Illinois congresswoman Marie Newman stated, "If you're taking money from people who are supporting a far right-wing government that is executing a genocide, what does that say about you?"

Newman supports Kina Collins, another candidate in the Democratic primary. The fundraising boost for Friedman's campaign has come largely from finance and real estate industries, with over 25% of his donors working in these fields.

Friedman's opponent, Rep. La Shawn Ford, received support from a dark-money group aligned with Democratic leaders during his last election. In contrast, several candidates have pledged not to accept money from AIPAC or its associated groups.

The endorsement of Friedman by influential pro-Israel donor Larry Hochberg underscores the extent of AIPAC's involvement in the campaign. While Hochberg claimed he was supporting Friedman because he believed the candidate would be a good choice, his ties to AIPAC and other pro-Israel groups raise questions about his motivations.

Friedman's campaign has yet to respond to requests for comment on his stance regarding U.S.-Israel relations or military funding for Israel.

I don't think it's fair to jump all over Jason Friedman just 'cause some of his donors are from AIPAC . I mean, come on, it's not like he's directly saying he supports the Israeli government's actions in Gaza . Some people gotta give him a break, you know? He's trying to win an election here . And let's be real, if you're from Chicago, finance and real estate are pretty much part of the game . It's not like he's got a secret stash of money or something . I'm all for transparency in politics, but don't be too quick to label someone as 'pro-Israel' just 'cause they've got some pro-Israel donors on their list .

The whole situation with Jason Friedman's campaign is kinda weird . On one hand, it's awesome that he's got a lot of support from pro-Israel donors - I mean, who doesn't love the idea of supporting US-Israel relations? But on the other hand, it raises some serious red flags. Like, if you're donating to AIPAC and they're backing a candidate, are they just looking out for themselves or is there something more going on?

I'm not saying Friedman's gotta change his stance on Israel, but I do think he should be more transparent about where he stands . And what's with the fact that some of these pro-Israel donors have ties to super-right-wing governments? That's just some serious baggage . It's like they're buying influence or something. Ugh, it makes me wanna roll my eyes .

I think it's great that other candidates are speaking out against AIPAC's involvement in politics . We need more transparency and accountability, you know? And if someone's gonna take money from AIPAC donors, they should at least have the decency to explain why . Otherwise, it just looks like they're getting bought off .

I'm kinda worried about Jason Friedman's connection to AIPAC donors. I mean, these people have been critical of some pretty shady stuff in the past, like what's happening with Gaza. It's not necessarily saying that Jason is a bad person or anything, but it makes me wonder if he's got the right values for the job. $1.5 million is a lot of money to be raking in from just a few sources, you know? Maybe we should get more info on what he's gonna do about U.S.-Israel relations...

idk what's so bad about raking in donations from wealthy donors who share similar views as u? Friedman's not exactly making a big deal out of it, just saying he's open to discussing the issues with them. it's like if u were running for office and someone offered to fund ur campaign because they loved ur values lol wouldn't u take it?

I'm not sure what's more concerning, the fact that a Chicago real estate tycoon is getting a boost from AIPAC donors or the lack of transparency around his stance on U.S.-Israel relations . It's one thing to support Israel's right to exist, but another to be tied to a government that's been accused of human rights abuses. I've got friends who have family in Gaza and they've told me the suffering that people go through there is real .

As someone who's worked with politics for years, I think it's refreshing to see some candidates pledging not to take money from AIPAC or its associated groups . It takes courage to stand up for your principles, especially when it's popular to just play both sides.

But at the end of the day, it's all about who you're accountable to – your constituents or a special interest group ? Let's hope Friedman's campaign is honest about where he stands on these issues .

think its pretty shady that Friedman is getting a ton of cash from people who are basically propping up a super right-wing gov in israel its like, you gotta wonder what his actual stances gonna be if he gets elected lol i mean, he's not even mentioning israel on his campaign trail so thats already raising some red flags plus the fact that AIPAC is throwing money at him left and right says a lot about where hes really standing on this stuff

I'm not sure I trust a politician who's getting that kind of backing from AIPAC . It's like they're more worried about keeping the pro-Israel donors happy than actually listening to the people they're supposed to be representing. $1.5 million in donations is a lot, but is it too much to ask for some transparency on where their money is coming from? And what exactly does that say about Friedman's stance on the whole U.S.-Israel thing? Does he really have the guts to stand up to the politicians who are backing him or will he just do their bidding?

I'm not buying into this whole "Jason Friedman is the people's choice" vibe just because he's got a gazillion dollars in pro-Israel donations . I mean, let's be real, it's AIPAC we're talking about here - the ultimate lobby group that's gonna stop at nothing to get what they want. And what they want right now is someone who'll toe their line on U.S.-Israel relations. I'm not convinced that Friedman's stance is anything but whatever AIPAC wants him to say .

And don't even get me started on the fact that his donors are from finance and real estate - basically just a bunch of rich folks who care more about lining their own pockets than about actual policy . It's all about the Benjamins, baby! And if you're taking money from people who are literally funding genocide, what does that say about your values? Like, seriously?

just read this news about jason friedman and i gotta say i'm like totally confused ... he's running for a democratic seat but got tons of cash from people who are basically pro-israel and have some shady connections ... doesn't that mean he'd be all about supporting israel no matter what? or is this just some clever ploy to get elected?

i mean, marie newman's got a point tho ... taking money from people who are supporting a government that's executing a genocide kinda raises eyebrows ... and what about friedman's stance on u-s-israel relations? is he gonna be all about supporting military funding for israel or what?

i guess we'll just have to wait and see how this whole thing plays out ... but one thing's for sure, aipac's influence in politics is still super suspicious ...

I'm not sure I agree with this whole thing, lol Jason Friedman getting all that dough from AIPAC is sketchy at best. Like, I get that he's a Democrat and all, but come on... 40 of his donors are straight up pro-Israel? That's some weird overlap right there . And what's with the $1.5 million in donations? That's a whole lotta cash to just throw around for one guy. Not saying I don't trust Jason or anything, but this whole thing is giving me some major "red flag" vibes .

And let's be real, if you're taking money from people who are down with a government that's basically a dictator... what does that say about your values? Like, Marie Newman said it pretty well - if you're taking money from people who support a genocide, what does that say about you? I mean, I'm all for supporting Israel and all, but not at the expense of our own values, you know?

So I'm reading this about Jason Friedman's campaign and I gotta say, it's crazy how much money AIPAC is pouring into this guy's run... like over $1.5 million! And yeah, it's pretty clear they've got their eyes on him because of his pro-Israel views (or lack thereof, some people say). But what really gets me is the whole thing about him not even making Israel a central part of his campaign platform and still raking in all that cash. It's like he's trying to keep both sides happy? And I'm also wondering if this endorsement from Larry Hochberg is just a case of "you gotta give to get" or if there's something more going on behind the scenes...

By the way, I've been thinking about this for ages and I still can't wrap my head around how these super PACs work... like they're this secret society that can basically buy influence with their donations.

I'm low-key concerned that Jason Friedman is getting so much traction in the Democratic primary With nearly 40 of his donors having ties to AIPAC, it's like he's already got a few votes counted in advance. The fact that critics are saying this raises red flags about his stance on US-Israel relations and whether he's just another puppet being controlled by pro-Israel donors

At the same time, I think Rep. La Shawn Ford getting hit with dark money from Democratic leaders is just as sketchy It's like, can't we all agree that outside money in politics is a bad idea? And what's up with all these pro-Israel donors and their connections to AIPAC? Can't we have a more diverse set of perspectives on the campaign trail?

So I'm seeing Jason Friedman's campaign getting a lot of attention due to all these AIPAC donors throwing their weight behind him... and yeah, it's kinda fishy . I mean, 40+ donors linked to AIPAC is a pretty big show of support, especially when you consider the current state of Israel and the accusations of genocide... it does raise some eyebrows.

It's interesting that Friedman isn't making Israel a central part of his platform, but still receiving major pro-Israel funding. It just feels like there might be more to this story than meets the eye. And let's not forget that AIPAC has spent millions last year alone... that kind of influence can be pretty hard to shake off.

I'm curious to see how Friedman responds to questions about his stance on U.S.-Israel relations, but so far, his campaign is staying mum . Either way, this whole situation just feels like it's got a lot more depth than what we're seeing on the surface...

I gotta say, this whole Jason Friedman thing is super sketchy . He's getting a ton of cash from AIPAC donors who are basically backing the Israeli government that's been accused of genocide... it's just weird . And now we're supposed to believe he's all about US-Israel relations without even saying anything about it? Give me a break .

I'm not saying Friedman is bad news, but come on folks, let's be real here . If you're gonna take money from people who are literally supporting a far-right government that's killing Palestinians, what's the point of even voting for him? It's all just about lining someone's pockets and getting ahead, not about actually doing any good.

And don't even get me started on AIPAC . They're basically a superpower in politics when it comes to pro-Israel donors. It's like they have an endless supply of cash and influence . Can we at least try to be honest with ourselves about what's really going on here?

just saw that Jason Friedman's campaign is raking it in, with over $1.5 million donated by pro-Israel donors... 40 of them have ties to AIPAC and the group spent a whopping $100 million last year on elections meanwhile, Kina Collins' camp is all about transparency and refusing dark money it's getting real interesting who's backing this guy and what that says about their priorities

I'm getting really uneasy about this Jason Friedman guy running for office... He's got tons of cash coming in from people with strong ties to AIPAC, which is just super suspicious given what's going on in Israel right now . I mean, you can't help but wonder if he's more interested in pleasing these donors than actually representing the people of Chicago. And it's not like he's even made a big deal about U.S.-Israel relations on the campaign trail... It just feels like business as usual to me - taking money from powerful interests and hoping nobody asks too many questions . Can't we do better than that?

Wow , this is some crazy stuff! Friedman's got some big shoes to fill after Davis left the seat, and if AIPAC's backing him up it's gotta be a game-changer... Interesting how much weight do people place on these donations? Some say it's all about the benjamins, but others care more about the cause. Can't wait to see where this election takes us!

I'm kinda confused about this Jason Friedman guy... he's getting a lot of cash from AIPAC, but some people think that's weird because they're worried about Israel's government being kinda... bad? Like, it's accused of doing some pretty horrible things to Palestinians . And now Friedman is trying out for a Dem seat and his campaign is pulling in all this money... I don't get why he's not talking more about what he'll do on Israel issues. Is it because he doesn't want to lose votes or something? Also, isn't it kinda weird that most of his donors are from finance and real estate? What's going on there?

I'm kinda worried about this Jason Friedman fella running for office. I mean, he's got AIPAC donors pouring in like crazy, which is pretty interesting considering what's going on with that whole Israeli gov't and stuff . It feels like some people are gonna have to ask themselves if they're cool with supporting a candidate who takes cash from donors linked to a government doing genocide . I'm all for pro-Israel support, but when it comes down to it, you gotta wonder what's really going on here...