Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) announced on Thursday that he will cease accepting donations from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and will return all contributions he has previously received from the group.
“I support Israel’s right to exist, but I’ve also never been afraid to disagree openly with AIPAC when I believe they’re wrong,” Moulton said in a statement he posted to the social platform X. “I’m a friend of Israel, but not of its current government, and AIPAC’s mission today is to back that government. I don’t support that direction.”
Moulton said he is “cautiously optimistic” that last week’s Israel-Hamas peace deal will help bring the conflict to an end, adding: “A political resolution that allows Israelis and Palestinians to live side by side in peace is exactly the kind of framework I’ve been calling for right from the beginning.”
OpenSecrets reports that individuals linked to AIPAC gave $32,850 to Moulton’s campaign in 2023–2024, with the group itself contributing $10,000, making it his top donor. A campaign official told The Hill that $35,000 is being returned, including $15,560 from the third quarter of 2025, per the latest FEC filing. All refunds will appear on Moulton’s 2025 campaign report, which is due on January 31, 2026.
On Wednesday, Moulton announced his Democratic primary challenge against Sen. Ed Markey for the 2026 Senate race, arguing the 79-year-old incumbent is not “the right person to meet this moment and win the future.” According to OpenSecrets, Markey received no donations from AIPAC between 2019 and 2024.
I am returning AIPAC donations and refusing to accept any donations or support from them.
The FEC filing I made yesterday reflects that we are returning donations. pic.twitter.com/shBgHmYB1s
— Seth Moulton (@sethmoulton) October 16, 2025
