Talarico Campaign Received $3,000 From Islamic Lecturer

Federal Election Commission records show Khan made three $1,000 donations to Talarico’s campaign. The latest came October 19, the day early voting began in Texas and one day after Talarico attended a halal barbecue event in Irving to meet Muslim voters. A campaign official said Khan did not attend the event, and spokesman JT Ennis said the campaign had not solicited his contributions. Ennis said the campaign condemned violence and that Khan did not speak for it.

Khan founded the Bayyinah Institute, an Islamic studies organization with a large YouTube following. In a lecture posted in 2015, he criticized men who invoke scripture to defend abuse at home, then described an exception involving a husband who catches his wife with another man. Khan said a man might hit or push her in that situation and that Allah would “let you get away with” it. He described the exception as limited to repeated infidelity and said any action should be only a “tap.”

In the same lecture, Khan discussed a Quranic scenario in which a man who raises four orphaned girls may marry one or more of them once they reach a certain age, saying the situation was unusual but permitted.

In 2017, several women accused Khan of using his public profile to pursue relationships, including religious marriages, and pressuring them to stay silent. A group of four Muslim scholars concluded that he had apologized and tried to buy their silence or threatened them. Khan rejected the allegations, while his lawyer dismissed them as baseless. Khan did not answer a query seeking his response.

Talarico, a former teacher and Christian seminarian, has described Islam as an inspiration to his faith and said Islam and Christianity both offer valid routes to truth. He is competing against Republican Ken Paxton in a close Senate race, with Election Day approaching.

Talarico Says Campaign Didn’t Seek Controversial Donor’s Money

A campaign donation does not make its giver a candidate’s spokesperson. That is the distinction James Talarico’s campaign made after records showed Islamic lecturer Nouman Ali Khan had contributed $3,000 to the Texas Democrat’s Senate run.

Khan made three $1,000 donations, the latest on October 19, when early voting began. Talarico’s spokesman said the campaign did not solicit the money and condemned violent rhetoric. He also said Khan was one of more than 1.6 million contributors and did not speak for the campaign. Khan was not at a halal barbecue event Talarico attended in Irving the day before.

Khan’s past remarks merit scrutiny. In a lecture, he condemned men who invoke scripture to defend domestic abuse, but then described a narrow circumstance in which he said Allah would “let you get away with” hitting or pushing a wife caught with another man. He said the exception concerned repeated infidelity and limited any response to a “tap.” He also discussed a scenario allowing a man who raised orphaned girls to marry one or more of them when they reached a certain age.

Several women accused Khan in 2017 of using his prominence to pursue relationships and pressure them to keep quiet. Khan rejected the allegations, while his lawyer dismissed them as baseless. His campaign contributions are now being raised as Talarico faces Republican Ken Paxton in a close race. Talarico has said Islam and Christianity both provide valid routes to truth and that Islamic traditions have informed his own faith.

Talarico Took Donations From Lecturer Behind Controversial Remarks

James Talarico’s campaign accepted $3,000 from Nouman Ali Khan, an Islamic lecturer whose remarks about domestic violence and marriage have drawn sharp criticism. The donations put a spotlight on the judgment surrounding a candidate who has publicly embraced Islam as a source of religious inspiration.

Federal Election Commission records show Khan gave three $1,000 contributions. The latest arrived October 19, the first day of early voting in Texas. Talarico’s campaign says it did not seek the money and condemns violence, adding that Khan does not speak for it. Khan was not at a halal barbecue event Talarico attended in Irving the preceding day.

In a lecture, Khan condemned using scripture to justify domestic abuse, but then outlined an exception: a husband who catches his wife with another man might hit or push her and, Khan said, Allah would “let you get away with” it. Khan limited the scenario to repeated infidelity and said any action should be only a “tap.” He also called it permissible for a man who raised orphaned girls to marry one or more of them after they reached a certain age.

Several women accused Khan in 2017 of leveraging his public standing to pursue relationships, including religious marriages, and attempting to silence them. Khan rejected the allegations, and his lawyer characterized them as baseless. Talarico, a former teacher and Christian seminarian, has said Islam and Christianity both offer valid routes to truth. The donations have become an issue as he competes in a close race against Republican Ken Paxton.