Congressman Gottheimer Calls for DOJ Investigation into Palestinian American Community Center
Scrutiny intensifies on PACC following Jewish Onliner's discovery that the New Jersey-based nonprofit was hosting a convicted member of a U.S.-designated terrorist organization
A Jewish Onliner investigation has led to calls for federal scrutiny of the Palestinian American Community Center (PACC) in Clifton, New Jersey, after uncovering alleged ties between the organization and individuals linked to U.S.-designated terrorist groups.
Congressman Gottheimer Calls for DOJ Investigation
On Sunday, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) sent a formal letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi urging the Department of Justice to investigate whether PACC has violated federal laws by providing material support to terrorist organizations and promoting antisemitic hate and violence.
The congressman cited Jewish Onliner’s findings regarding the “Grounded in Action: Exploring the Power of the Palestinian Diaspora” conference—PACC's 7th annual summit. Held over the weekend, the event featured speakers with well-documented ties to U.S.-designated terrorist organizations, most prominently PFLP member Wisam Rafeedie.
“Rafeedie is a known associate of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), which has been designated by the United States as a Foreign Terrorist Organization since October 8, 1997,” Gottheimer wrote. “Rafeedie has a long history of supporting terrorism and engaging in antisemitic rhetoric.”
Speakers Linked to Extremism and Incendiary Rhetoric
Jewish Onliner was first to report that the event included Wisam Rafeedie, a known member of the PFLP. Rafeedie has previously defended Hamas' October 7th massacre and made inflammatory statements including, “Zionists lie like they breathe,” and, “There is no longer a place for the two-state solution for any Palestinian. The only solution is one democratic Palestinian state on all Palestinian land, which will end the Zionist project in Palestine.”
Also appearing at the summit was U.S. Representative Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), whose involvement has drawn sharp criticism from Jewish organizations.
Watchdog Response and Legal Implications
The summit's content—documented through event footage, promotional materials, and speaker biographies—prompted swift reactions from watchdog groups and lawmakers. NGO Monitor, an organization that tracks the activity of anti-Israel NGOs, released a report corroborating Jewish Onliner’s findings and outlining the summit’s ties to terror-linked individuals and narratives.
In light of these revelations, Gottheimer has stressed the need for law enforcement to evaluate whether PACC’s programming constitutes a violation of federal laws, including 18 U.S. Code § 2339B, which prohibits providing material support to foreign terrorist organizations.
The Department of Justice has not yet issued a public response regarding Rep. Gottheimer’s request for an investigation.