Senator-Elect Abdul El-Sayed Registers "Habibi PAC" as a Leadership PAC, Days After Winning Michigan's Senate Seat

Michigan Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed registered a leadership PAC called Habibi PAC, the Doha-based network reported. A Federal Election Commission filing dated Thursday shows the committee registered as a leadership PAC sponsored by El-Sayed; such committees are separate from a politician’s own campaign. The report, citing OpenSecrets, notes that lawmakers use leadership PACs to gain clout with colleagues by giving to other members, their party and other committees. El-Sayed is one of several newly elected Democrats to register leadership PACs since the vote, according to FEC filings.

Getting money out of politics was one of El-Sayed’s central pledges; in his victory speech he said that in a battle between money and the many, “the many can win.”