By SUZANNE DOWNING
May 26, 2026 – US Senate candidate Mary Peltola is benefiting from a national Democratic fundraising vehicle called the Liftoff Fund, a joint fundraising committee tied to Senate Democrats and their high-profile candidates across the country.
Federal Election Commission records show the Liftoff Fund, officially registered as a Democratic joint fundraising committee under FEC ID C00843250, currently lists as participating beneficiaries the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, the Liftoff PAC, and Senate campaigns for Peltola, Chris Pappas, Roy Cooper, and Sherrod Brown.
According to FEC filings, the fund has raised more than $872,000 so far in the 2025-2026 cycle and has distributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to affiliated Democratic committees and campaigns.
One donor stands out prominently in the filings: Arizona businessman Francis Najafi, who gave $250,000 to the Liftoff Fund — meaning his contribution alone accounted for roughly 29% of the committee’s receipts during the current cycle.
Because the Liftoff Fund redistributes money among its participating committees, a portion of Najafi’s contribution ultimately flowed to Peltola’s campaign committee, Alaskans for Mary. The fund reportedly transferred more than $22,000 to Peltola’s committee, meaning several thousand dollars of that amount can reasonably be traced back to Najafi’s massive donation stream.
Najafi is an Iranian-born billionaire investor and founder of Pivotal Group. He immigrated to the United States from Iran in 1972 and remained after the 1979 Iranian Revolution made returning impossible, according to biographical information compiled in public reports.
Over the years, Najafi has become a major donor to political causes, think tanks, universities, and advocacy organizations. But he has drawn criticism from pro-Israel conservatives and foreign policy hawks because of donations tied to organizations viewed as hostile to Israel or supportive of softer U.S. policies toward Iran.
Among the organizations highlighted in prior reporting are the J Street Education Fund and the National Iranian American Council, both groups frequently criticized by pro-Israel activists and conservative commentators. Najafi also signed a public letter supporting the Obama administration’s Iran nuclear deal.
His philanthropic foundation has donated large sums to international affairs organizations, including the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and the Atlantic Council, a Washington, DC globalist think tank funded by from foreign governments, defense contractors, and conservative billionaires that use it as a “pay-for-play” operation.
Najafi has also been associated with the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, a foreign policy think tank that advocates accommodating Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
Najafi Global Mindset Institute is dedicated to advancing both the theory and practical application of global digital leadership, and is located at the Thunderbird School of Global Management and supports organizations and managers in their pursuit of their global ambitions.
Najafi has donated to both Republicans and Democrats over the years, including support Jeb Bush. His brother, Jahm Najafi, is a major investor in the Phoenix Suns organization.
Unlike Sen. Dan Sullivan, who once worked for the State Department, Peltola has avoided foreign policy issues and has often campaigned on Alaska subsistence fisheries issues. But her national fundraising, which is significant, ties her to billionaire donors and ideological networks far outside the state.
The Liftoff Fund itself operates as a standard joint fundraising committee, a mechanism commonly used by both parties to allow wealthy donors to write a single large check that is then divided among multiple aligned campaigns and party committees after expenses are paid.
12 thoughts on “Following the Peltola money trail to a pro-Iran, anti-Israel billionaire: Francis Najafi”
The EVIL from within. Right here at home in Alaska. Mary Peltola IS the agent of evil.
Kemosabee… It’s the apex of evil! Geopolitically speaking, we’ve sold military equipment to Israel’s enemies or countries that are deemed potentially unfriendly towards Israel in the past too.
In a few years or maybe even after the midterms, I know (and some of you as well) a possible leader who will only look inward.
Alright, this is distracting! (For me)
None of this matters in this election. It’s the economy….. 4 dollar gas and 9$ hamburger will decide this. Senator Sullivan could have put up some resistance to the tariffs and insane Iran war but instead was silent. He let us get clobbered with day to day increased expenses. No doubt a frightening position to be in but he was silent. So now we will pay for our groceries, health care premiums, and gasoline in early November and make a choice. Choose wisely!
Exactly, as James Carville pointed out 1992, “It’s the economy, stupid.” And Sullivan has been complicit while avoiding voters by not holding any open house in-person town halls.
And not just the economy, Ken. I want to hope that Americans still value honesty, integrity and fairness- all traits that the Trump administration has vaporized. Trump is poison and Sullivan has done nothing and said nothing against him. Sullivan is Trump. Trump is poison. Peltola is our next senator.
Just another imported billionaire like Soros who hates America hellbent on destroying what was once one of the greatest places on the planet with freedom to live and thrive.
Obama’s Iranian nuclear deal was nothing more than a green light with the devil as we sit and watch Iran attacking numerous surrounding countries who thought would never happen.
Scary Mary is the Trojan Horse in this Senate race.
Her and her shaman sister Murky both need to be put out to pasture.
Joe and Nancy showed us enough of how easy it was to dazzle a naive native woman from Bethel with trinkets to stonewall our energy resource development by hiding in a bathroom stall when it came to time to vote on the most important issues for Alaska.
Thank you Suzanne again for this all important revelation at a critical time when millions from outside our state are being spent on this important election.
He’s a modern day Haman from the book of Esther
These recent immigrants going back into the 1970’s up to 2026 its as America is being given over to its enemies just like the kingdoms Isreal and Judah were given over to its foreign enemies enemies because of its idolatry and disobedience before their day of doom because God is a good good God slow to anger, slower to unfold his judgement, waiting for repentance.
Because immigrants today they care more about their ethnic cultures than they care about America.
Francis Najafi He cares more about Persia and its sovereignty and independence than he cares about the very country that helped him become the billionaire he is today.
If he and his family stayed in Iranian instead of fleeing he wouldn’t have what he had today.
He’s an ungrateful fool like most (if not all) immigrants today.
Cool that facts don’t interfere with your abundant comments.
So, Mary Peltola is vaguely linked to a Democrat PAC, funded by a billionaire of Iranian descent, which contributed 20K to her campaign – yet her opponent – Dan Sullivan, received almost 600k from various Israeli lobbyists for his campaign and nary a peep from The Alaska Story! I only bring this up because the hypocrisy is stunning. On one hand we have a flawed partisan candidate who walks in lockstep with Beltway Democrat insiders, Mary Peltola. On the other hand, we have Dan Sullivan, whose pro Iran War rhetoric will soon lead to $6 a gallon gasoline & more runaway inflation. Why does it always come down to the lesser of two evils?
The Little Squaw.ker Peltola needs to find her next warrior man quick, before the new settlers move in. Land Acknowledgements will also be summarily extinguished when the squaw.kers leave their teepees.
Fuck your racism Bird.