Holding US lawmakers accountable for backing Gaza genocide

A new US-based campaign aims to hold lawmakers accountable for making federal taxpayers complicit in the genocide in Gaza.

Taxpayers Against Genocide (TAG) began in northern California, but is expanding its membership to include all US federal taxpayers across the country.

The group recently announced plans to file a report with the United Nations in April, and is exploring other international legal remedies.

“The idea has been that we have an extremely solid legal case,” said Maria Barakat, a member of TAG’s core organizing group, adding that attorneys with the National Lawyers Guild are amongst their legal team.

Taxpayers Against Genocide is going International. Now, all US federal taxpayers can join the fight. We are holding US Officials who support genocide accountable for their crimes and complicity! Follow the link in our bio to SIGN-UP!⁠
⁠
#unitednations #unhumanrightscouncil #un pic.twitter.com/BOsPo4U0hq
— Taxpayers Against Genocide (TAG) (@Notax4gcide) February 19, 2025

Members of the group’s founding and organizing team joined The Electronic Intifada Podcast to talk about their strategy.

“We wanted to go to the source of the federal income tax dollars that are being used for military aid to Israel,” Seth Donnelly, a co-founder of TAG, told The Electronic Intifada.

“And so we looked at those Congresspersons who cast a vote in the house on 20 April, 2024 which was to re-up $26.38 billion more in military aid and weapon sales to Israel at that time.”

By then, Donnelly adds, “the evidence of genocide was overwhelming, and we had lobbied them extensively not to do that, [but] they did it anyway.”

TAG organized class-action lawsuits on behalf of constituents of lawmakers in California who had voted to send taxpayer funds to support Israel’s war crimes, naming Democratic Party congressmembers such as Mike Thompson and Jared Huffman as well as former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.

Barakat said that the group is working to make their legal approach applicable to a broader constituency so that it can be adapted to different jurisdictions around the country.

The intention of TAG, she says, is “to ensure that our representatives never forget that they have been complicit in genocide and that we will not stop until they are shamed in the world, in the world’s eyes.”

TAG’s press team member Mary Samson and activist Hanna Barakat also spoke about the strong response from people all over the country who want to be part of the legal process of accountability and responsibility for local, state and federal lawmakers.

Produced by Tamara Nassar

Photo by Leon Kunstenaar