Republican congressional candidate Jackie Auringer has urged her opponent, Rep. Pat Ryan (D-NY), to fulfill his commitment to return contributions from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Ryan was among 103 Democrats who voted to end all aid to Israel earlier this month, describing the aid as 'wrong on every level' and promising to refund AIPAC contributions in posts made on July 15.
According to a Washington Examiner analysis of Federal Election Commission records, Ryan would need to return over $790,000 to adhere to his promise. A spokesperson for Ryan's campaign stated that he has returned all PAC contributions from AIPAC and donations from individual donors who have requested refunds. However, the campaign did not provide details on the number of refund requests or the total amount returned so far.
Ryan has received more than $400,000 in direct donations from AIPAC and over $375,000 from individual contributions during his time in Congress. Auringer criticized Ryan, stating, 'Pat Ryan broke his promise to unequivocally support Israel,' and called for him to return the funds to the donors.
Despite previously being a strong pro-Israel advocate, Ryan has shifted his stance, indicating he no longer seeks AIPAC's support. In a post on X, he stated, 'I expect groups like AIPAC will not support me in my future elections and frankly, I don’t want their support.'
Track AIPAC, an organization that monitors pro-Israel influence in U.S. politics, responded to Ryan's comments, asking if he would 'dump AIPAC.' Ryan confirmed his intention to return the funds.
The Washington Examiner has reached out to AIPAC for comments regarding the refund process. Even if Ryan proceeds with returning the money, Auringer faces a challenging campaign in New York's 18th Congressional District, where she has significantly less fundraising support compared to Ryan, who had over $3 million in campaign funds as of June 30, compared to Auringer's approximately $61,000. The Cook Political Report rates the race as 'Solid D.'