Lawler seeks investigation of NJ Democrat tied to Blind Sheikh trial

Rep. Michael Lawler says he will seek a full investigation if New Jersey Democratic nominee Dr. Adam Hamawy wins in November, citing Hamawy’s past connection to Omar AbdelRahman, the convicted extremist known as the Blind Sheikh. Hamawy, a combat plastic surgeon, testified as a defense witness in AbdelRahman’s 1995 trial connected to the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. Lawler and other Republicans say those ties raise questions about Hamawy’s suitability for a seat that could give him access to sensitive national security information. Hamawy won a crowded Democratic primary in central New Jersey and will face Republican Gregg Mele in the general election. Hamawy has said he opposes violence and has argued that criticism of his past reflects Islamophobic attacks.