Sam,
Is the below information correct?
I searched for additional records covering Sam Liccardo’s career before and
after entering Congress.
Based on the publicly available evidence I could find:
- *There is one publicly documented official trip to Israel.*
- *The trip was paid for by the American Israel Education Foundation
(AIEF)*, a nonprofit organization affiliated with AIPAC that sponsors
educational trips for members of Congress.
On Sat, Jul 18, 2026 at 11:21 AM Aram James
wrote:
> Youre welcome, Sam!! I will get back to you with a more substantive
> response in the near future. In the meantime, I have a few questions for
> you below. I look forward to your responses.
>
> Peace,
>
> Avram Finkelstein aka Aram James
>
> **One of your proud Jewish constituents who wants the vile war-crimes
> state of Israel eliminated.
>
> P.S.
>
> 1 How many times have you traveled to Israel?
>
> 2. If so, under what circumstances?
>
> 3. Were your trips to Israel, if you in fact went, paid for by AIPAC
> money?
>
> 4. If not, who paid for your trips?
>
> 5. When you were mayor of San Jose or on city council, who paid for your
> trips to Israel?
>
> 6. Have you traveled to Palestine? Gaza? West Bank? Other locations in
> Palestine?
>
> 7. If not, why have you not taken a fact-finding trip to Gaza and the West
> Bank?
>
> 8. Have you publicly called for a one-state solution?
>
> 9. Have you publicly condemned Israel 🇮🇱 as a war-crimes genocidal
> state? If Not, Why Not?
>
> 19. Have you publicly called for the elimination of the rogue apartheid
> state, war-crimes state of Israel? If Not, Why Not, Sam?
>
> ****Sam, Im proud of you for your willingness to open up a constructive
> conversation with me on this critical issue. Look forward to more of the
> same.
>
> Avram “Eliminate The State of Israel Now” Finkelstein
>
>
>
>
> On Sat, Jul 18, 2026 at 8:00 AM Sam Liccardo
> wrote:
>
>> Thanks Aram.
>> First, you’re incorrect: I’ve never received money directly from AIPAC,
>> and they’re certainly not giving to me now. They will not accept
>> contributions for me on their website, unlike hundreds of other members of
>> Congress. Among the reasons why they won’t ever contribute to me is my
>> cosponsorship of the “Block the Bombs” bill, and public statements like
>> this:
>> https://liccardo.house.gov/massie-amendment
>>
>> I’m sure I’ve received contributions from local community residents who
>> are members of AIPAC, though not nearly as much as my opponent in 2024, and
>> I’m also confident I received more contributions from members of the Muslim
>> or Arab-American communities who object to the conduct of the Israeli
>> leadership. I had to raise $6 million in that race, so the amounts you’re
>> citing are less than 2% of my raise in that cycle.
>> In your future missives, I encourage you to present facts more accurately
>> and with relevant context.
>> Sam
>>
>>
>> Sam Liccardo
>> Member of Congress
>> 16th District of California
>> (this email is being sent from my private account, and is not official
>> correspondence)
>>
>> On Sat, Jul 18, 2026 at 12:30 AM Aram James wrote:
>>
>>> For Sam Liccardo’s successful 2024 House campaign:
>>>
>>> - *Direct AIPAC PAC contributions:* *$10,000* (the maximum PAC
>>> contribution for the primary and general election combined). This would
>>> appear in FEC filings as a contribution from the AIPAC PAC.
>>> - *Including AIPAC-affiliated individual donors:* Public campaign
>>> finance trackers report a total of *about $80,000–$90,000* in
>>> support associated with AIPAC’s network during the 2023–2024 cycle. This
>>> larger figure includes donations from individuals identified as part of
>>> AIPAC’s donor network, not just the PAC itself.
>>>
>>> So if someone says “Liccardo took *$10,000 from AIPAC*,” they’re
>>> referring only to the PAC’s direct contribution. If they cite a figure
>>> around *$80,000–$90,000*, they’re using a broader methodology that
>>> includes affiliated individual donors as well.
>>>
>>> If you’d like, I can also break down:
>>>
>>> - the exact FEC entries for the $10,000,
>>> - who the major AIPAC-affiliated individual donors were, or
>>> - how Liccardo compares with other California members of Congress on
>>> AIPAC-linked fundraising.
>>>
>>>