CAIR Urges Senate Judiciary Committee to Reject Adam Candeub Nomination Over Anti-Muslim Writings

 

CAIR Urges Senate Judiciary Committee to Reject Adam Candeub Nomination Over Anti-Muslim Writings and Questions About Disclosure

• September 28, 2026
• 2:01 pm

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today announced that it has sent a letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Ranking Member Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), and committee members urging them to oppose Adam Candeub’s nomination to serve as Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division at the U.S. Department of Justice.

CLICK HERE: READ CAIR’S LETTER

In its letter, CAIR raises concerns about Candeub’s public record, including anti-Muslim writings for the website VDARE. In a 2017 article published by VDARE, its reported Candeub wrote that “Muslim immigrants and their children seem prone not only to terrorism, but to cultural separatism.” At his August 5, 2026, Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Candeub said he stood by the article, explaining that he had written it in defense of President Trump’s travel ban.

CAIR also cites reports that Candeub failed to disclose more than 100 writings to the Senate Judiciary Committee. The letter says the reported omission raises concerns about whether the Committee has received the complete record it needs to assess his judgment, candor, and fitness for office. CAIR further notes that Candeub has criticized the Violence Against Women Act, a landmark federal law supporting survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking.

In a statement, CAIR Government Affairs Department Director Robert S. McCaw said:

“The Department of Justice must be led by officials who can be trusted to enforce the law fairly and protect the rights of all Americans. Mr. Candeub’s anti-Muslim writings, his reported failure to disclose more than 100 writings to the Senate, and his criticism of a central law protecting survivors of gender-based violence raise serious questions about his judgment and candor. The Senate Judiciary Committee should oppose his nomination.”

The Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division leads the Justice Department’s work on competition and market power. CAIR argues that a nominee entrusted with senior DOJ leadership should demonstrate the fairness, judgment, and commitment to equal justice required to serve people across all communities.

In its letter, CAIR urges the Senate Judiciary Committee to:

• Oppose Candeub’s nomination and decline to advance it.
• Carefully scrutinize his public writings and reported omissions from his Senate questionnaire.
• Consider whether his record demonstrates the judgment, candor, and commitment to equal justice required of a senior Department of Justice official.

CAIR’s letter argues that Candeub’s writings about Muslims, his publication through VDARE, the reported nondisclosure of more than 100 writings, and his criticism of the Violence Against Women Act weigh strongly against confirmation.

CAIR’s latest civil rights report documented 8,683 anti-Muslim bias complaints in 2025—the highest number recorded by the organization since it began publishing civil rights reports in 1996.

CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.