Democrat Adam Hamawy Heading to Congress After Decisive New Jersey Win Amid Past Ties Scrutiny
Plastic surgeon and former U.S. Army medical officer Adam Hamawy is bound for Capitol Hill after capturing roughly 70% of the vote in New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District. His decisive victory came despite campaign-trail questioning about his historical ties to a charity later flagged for terror financing, as well as his past involvement with a convicted terrorist leader. Attention focused on Hamawy’s volunteer stint with the Benevolence International Foundation, a Chicago-based charity that U.S. Federal authorities eventually designated as a financial and logistical support network for al Qaeda. The Treasury Department maintains the organization on its terrorism-related sanctions list.
Bosnia Humanitarian Work and Subsequent Federal Probes
Reporting uncovered from a 1996 interview with the Newark Star-Ledger revealed that Hamawy spent five weeks in Bosnia in 1994 delivering medical aid for the group. “I worked in Sarajevo for 10 days and then the rest in Zenica, a large regional center in central Bosnia,” Hamawy said at the time. “We went out to hospitals around the area and in the mountains to check what supplies they needed, and we tried to deliver them.”
Years later, Bosnian officials raided the charity’s offices in Sarajevo and Zenica in 2002. Federal investigators tied seized documents—including correspondence, financial records, and details on terrorist training camps—to Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda. The 9/11 Commission later identified the Sarajevo office as a cover for supporting illicit activities. In 2003, the charity’s chief executive, Enaam Arnaout, pleaded guilty to a racketeering charge after diverting funds raised for humanitarian aid to the Bosnian military, leading prosecutors to drop terrorism charges against him. Available reporting hasn’t established that Hamawy personally took part in terrorist acts or knowingly aided al Qaeda.
Legal Connections and Campaign Counterattacks
Opponents also questioned Hamawy’s past link to Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman, known as the “Blind Sheikh,” who was convicted in 1995 for conspiring to attack New York City. Records show Hamawy traveled with Abdel-Rahman to Detroit in 1991, acted as his translator at a press conference, and testified during his federal defense. Former federal prosecutor Andrew McCarthy, who helped convict Abdel-Rahman, told Fox News Digital that cross-examination of Hamawy’s defense testimony ultimately aided the government’s case by reinforcing proof of a jihadist conspiracy. Hamawy’s campaign strongly rejected the attacks in May, blaming conservative figures and political organizations for attempting to undermine his bid. “It’s unsurprising that the RNC and Republican billionaire-backed outlets are trying to cast Dr. Adam Hamawy in a negative light: he’s Donald Trump’s worst nightmare,” his campaign told Fox News Digital. Hamawy didn’t respond to Fox News Digital’s latest request for comment following the election.