The American Federation of Teachers (AFT), AFL-CIO Committee on Political Education has emerged as a significant financial supporter of prominent Congressional Democrats and Democratic campaign organizations, according to Federal Election Commission (FEC) records. Among the recipients of the union’s political action committee (PAC) donations are House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senator Adam Schiff, and Representative Ilhan Omar, alongside contributions to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) during the 2024 election cycle.
Last week, AFT President Randi Weingarten faced scrutiny from reporters with Loomer Unleashed following her appearance at an anti-Trump rally outside the U.S. Department of Education. The event, organized by the Sunrise Movement—a youth-led climate activism group recently tied to disruptive protests at Tesla showrooms in New York City—drew attention to the AFT’s political activities. When pressed about the union’s stance on the Sunrise Movement’s actions, Weingarten initially deflected but later remarked, “They are very peaceful now,” referring to the protesters.
FEC filings reveal that the AFT’s PAC, linked to an aft.org email address, has been a consistent donor to Democrat leadership. In addition to supporting Jeffries, the PAC contributed to the campaigns of Senators Adam Schiff, Elissa Slotkin, and Mazie Hirono during the 2024 cycle. Senators Schiff and Hirono, both members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, played notable roles in delaying the confirmation of Kash Patel as FBI Director. Meanwhile, Senator Slotkin was selected by Democrats to deliver the party’s response to President Trump’s address to Congress.
The AFT PAC’s reach extends to key House Democrats as well. FEC records show donations to Representative Dan Goldman, a client of Authentic Campaigns, a firm operated by the daughter of Judge Juan Merchan, who presided over President Trump’s New York City trial. Goldman has acknowledged meeting with Michael Cohen prior to Cohen’s testimony against Trump in that case. Other recipients include Representative Maxine Waters, who was confronted by Loomer Unleashed at a rally outside the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), where anti-Trump protesters displayed signs with inflammatory messaging, including references interpreted as calls to “Kill Trump.”
Additional Congressional Democrats funded by the AFT PAC include Representative Ilhan Omar, who has faced criticism from colleagues for remarks perceived as aligning with pro-Hamas sentiments on the House floor, and Representative Sarah McBride, a transgender woman advocating for access to women’s restrooms in Congress.
The Sunrise Movement’s recent activities have further complicated the narrative. Alongside groups like Planet Over Profit and the Hack Club, the organization coordinated protests at a Tesla showroom in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District, where acts of vandalism were reported. Notably, the Hack Club—a nonprofit promoting coding education for high school students—received a $4 million grant from the Musk Foundation in 2023, according to the foundation’s Form 990 filing. The demonstrations were facilitated through ActionNetwork.org, a platform used by the Sunrise Movement and its allies.
As scrutiny intensifies, Congressional Democrats may face growing pressure to address their financial ties to the AFT’s PAC and its broader political engagements in the weeks ahead.
