Former Congressman Matt Gaetz described an experience during an American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) “reception” where he said donors could scan a name badge with a QR code to make donations. “You get there and you wear this name badge. And I remember there’s a QR code on it,” Gaetz explained. “And what you’re supposed to do was go talk to donors and then if they liked you, they scanned your QR code to make a donation on the spot,” he continued. “Can you just imagine how demoralizing that is? To be told that your job for the next several hours is to go chat people up, hoping they would scan you like a can of tomato soup on the way out of the meeting,” he added. “That is so freaking weird,” Gaetz emphasized. The former Florida representative also shared a story in which he alleged someone was “rooting around” in his room while in Israel. Check it out: “At my first AIPAC reception, you had to wear a name badge with a QR code, talk to donors, and if they liked you, they scanned it to donate on the spot.”@mattgaetz on the surreal, humiliating world of AIPAC fundraisers. pic.twitter.com/bIIbLx9wMZ — Timcast News (@TimcastNews) October 8, 2025 Denver Gazette reported in August: Gaetz claimed there are “a lot of reasons why they [AIPAC] want members of Congress over there.” During one trip, Gaetz stayed at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem and found a visitor. “I rolled back to my room unexpectedly when the rest of the group was still on some planned activity. There’s a dude in my room. I’m like, ‘Hey man, what are you doing here?’ He acted like he was associated with the hotel, taking an inventory but had no clipboard,” Gaetz said. On Saturday, Gaetz stood by the story. “This absolutely happened. I explained these events to my family in case something went awry with me,” Gaetz said. “I reported this to my committee leadership at the time and was told it was ‘regular’ and I should never leave anything meaningful in my hotel room abroad as a member of Congress,” the former congressman said. AIPAC spokesman Marshall Wittman denied Gaetz’s story in a statement to the Washington Examiner. “This is a preposterously false allegation in a pathetic attempt to smear patriotic Americans who are engaged in the democratic process to strengthen our relationship with a strong and reliable ally, Israel,” Wittman said. “We will not be deterred by extremists, of the Right or the Left, in our efforts which are consistent with American interests and values,” he added. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) has also expressed criticism against AIPAC in recent weeks, saying she’s one of the only Congress members who doesn’t take money from the lobbying group. “I’m one of the only members of Congress that doesn’t take money from AIPAC, who donates way more money to Republicans than Democrats. The truth is AIPAC needs to register as a foreign lobbyist by U.S. law because they are representing the secular government of nuclear armed Israel 100%!!!” Greene said in August. “While Congress is out on recess and supposed to be working in our districts, they just took a bunch of members of Congress to Israel to make sure they don’t step out of line. While AIPAC is lying to their donors about me claiming I’m ‘betraying my American values’ the REALITY is AIPAC 1,000,000% serves and lobbies for a foreign country, Israel!!” she continued. “I’m as AMERICAN as they come! I can’t be bought and I’m not backing down!! I’m fighting for my children’s generation and for AMERICA ONLY!!!! Bring. It. On,” she added. AIPAC is sending fundraising emails attacking me for saying, “the most truthful and easiest thing to say that Oct 7th in Israel was horrific and all hostages must be returned, but so is the genocide, humanitarian crisis, and starvation happening in Gaza.” Well this is the sign… pic.twitter.com/AF3RUrAWAY — Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (@RepMTG) August 7, 2025 The Hill shared: A fundraising email sent by AIPAC Thursday, first reported by Al-Jazeera, characterized the GOP firebrand as anti-Israel. “You expect anti-Israel smears from [Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.)] and [Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.)],” the group wrote, referring to two progressive Muslim lawmakers. “But now, Marjorie Taylor Greene has joined their ranks — spouting the same vile rhetoric and voting against the US-Israel alliance.” AIPAC donates to lawmakers from both sides of the aisle and sponsors yearly trips to Israel for lawmakers. One trip over the August recess included House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), who had dinner with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “Anti-Israel extremists – of the right or the left – will not deter us in our participation in the democratic process to stand with Israel,” the group said in a statement to The Hill. “It is an outrageous betrayal of American values and interests to abandon an ally fighting terrorist aggression.” Greene has frequently broken with her party over Israel and has been perhaps the most prominent Republican to characterize the war in Gaza as a genocide, a flashpoint amid a worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza.