America First Legal (AFL), representing Texas Congressman Ronny Jackson, has successfully obtained a court order against the Biden administration, requiring the disclosure of details on how U.S. taxpayer funds are being used in relation to Hamas, a group recognized as a terrorist organization by the U.S. government.
Jackson, a retired rear admiral and former White House physician, filed this lawsuit under the Taylor Force Act. This legislation, named after an American soldier killed by Palestinian terrorism, was enacted by former President Donald Trump in 2018. It specifically addresses the Palestinian Authority’s “Pay to Slay” program, which financially rewards families of terrorists, including those associated with Hamas.
The lawsuit, originally filed in December 2022, intensified following Hamas’s terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. It seeks to investigate the Biden administration’s foreign aid payments to the Palestinian Authority, suspecting that some of these funds indirectly support Hamas. AFL’s legal action argues that under the Taylor Force Act, the Palestinian Authority forfeits eligibility for U.S. foreign aid if it continues its “Pay to Slay” program.
The focal point of the legal motion was to compel the administration to provide documents confirming the alleged redirection of American tax dollars to Hamas through aid to the Palestinian Authority. Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, responding to AFL’s claim and the recent Hamas attack, granted the motion, recognizing the potential link between the Biden administration’s funding to Palestinians and the increased risk of terrorist attacks.
This development could have significant implications for U.S. foreign policy and aid distribution, especially concerning entities designated as terrorist organizations. The case, Jackson v. Biden (No. 2:22-cv-241), is being heard in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas.
