Track AIPAC, an advocacy group that is popular for publicizing officials’ funding from Israel lobby groups such as AIPAC, has reversed course and is now endorsing Connie Chan in her bid for Congress after publicly denouncing her three days before the June primary.
The group had drawn attention to a convoluted money trail from two pro-Israel political action committees to a $475,000 ad buy in favor of Chan, accusing her of being tied to pro-Israel lobbyists.
It now says Chan is sufficiently critical of Israel to earn its endorsement.
“Connie has signed our candidate questionnaire, affirming that Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people and that Congress must end U.S. complicity in it and hold those responsible to account,” stated Track AIPAC, also named Citizens Against AIPAC Corruption, in a statement today.
It’s unclear whether Chan’s former rival, Saikat Chakrabarti, played a role in Track AIPAC pulling for Chan. One of Track AIPAC’s co-founders, Cory Archibald, is a longtime acquaintance of Chakrabarti and served as a former chairperson of Brand New Congress, a political action committee Chakrabarti co-founded.
Track AIPAC has become known online for posting vivid graphics of elected officials and candidates alongside the total amounts they were given by AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a long-time pro-Israel group.
Track AIPAC had endorsed Chakrabarti in the primary and attacked Chan — Chakrabarti’s biggest rival for second place — before the election. Chakrabarti lost and subsequently endorsed Chan, saying “I’m gonna do what I can to help her win.”
The group said that Chan’s rival in the race to succeed Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Scott Wiener, did not return its endorsement questionnaire.
“Wiener’s positions on these issues have been continuously unclear, and where he has taken a stance, he has stopped well short of what accountability requires,” said the anti-AIPAC advocacy group.
Specifically, Wiener does not support a full stop to arms sales to Israel; he condemns selling offensive weapons, but supports the sale of defensive missile systems.
Wiener has publicly stated that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.
Track AIPAC’s statement, however, does not directly address the group’s criticism of Chan before the primary, nor why it has reversed court. It says that Chan has committed to “refusing all money from pro-Israel lobby groups, including AIPAC, DMFI, RJC,” a stance she had taken before.
An endorsement like this could help further differentiate Chan from Wiener on the issue of Gaza, and potentially help consolidate Chakrabarti’s progressive and pro-Palestinian supporters, who may otherwise sit out the general election, behind Chan.
After news of the donation from two pro-Israel PACs to a group that bought pro-Chan ads, criticism of Chan for supposed pro-Israel ties went viral among leftists online, including among many in San Francisco. The endorsement could undo that perception.
The endorsement could also be a reconciliation between the core supporters of Chan and Chakrabarti’s. The money trail that Chakrabarti and his allies made public in the last stretch before the primary racked up millions of views.
Chakrabarti himself interpreted it as, “AIPAC sees me as their biggest threat, so they will do whatever it takes to try to defeat me.”
