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[[Image:Jamal_Said.jpg|thumb|right]]

[[Image:Jamal Said.jpg|thumb|right]]

'''Sheikh Jamal Said''' is a [[Chicago]]-area [[imam]] at the Bridgeview Mosque, also known as The Mosque Foundation, that preaches [[Wahhabi]] form of [[Islam]].  Jamal was facing federal charges for racketeering along with several alleged [[Hamas]] fundraisers, which ended in a mistrial. The fiery cleric once held fundraisers for dead suicide bombers.

'''Sheikh Jamal Said''' is a [[Chicago]]-area [[imam]] at the Bridgeview Mosque, also known as The Mosque Foundation, that preaches [[Wahhabi]] form of [[Islam]].  Jamal was facing federal charges for racketeering along with several alleged [[Hamas]] fundraisers, which ended in a mistrial. The fiery cleric once held fundraisers for dead suicide bombers.

Pre-9/11, the Mosque Foundations and Jamal Said were investigated for supporting Hamas financially. By the late 1990s, federal agents were knocking on doors, trading leads with investigators in other cities and flying to Israel to interview authorities. Agents wanted to investigate the mosque itself, viewing it as a gold mine of information that could help their inquiry into terrorism financing, said Mark Flessner, the former prosecutor who led the investigation.  Before the 2001 legislation, intelligence gathered with the special wiretaps could not be used for criminal cases. If prosecutors wanted information on the same targets, they needed to get their own wiretap orders after meeting the higher legal burden of proving there was probable cause to suspect criminal activity. Only after the Sept. 11 attacks did the government's interest in Hamas and mosque leaders materialize.<ref>[http://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/2580 US Investigating Mosque Foundation] Militant Islam Monitor.org</ref>

Pre-9/11, the Mosque Foundations and Jamal Said were investigated for supporting Hamas financially. By the late 1990s, federal agents were knocking on doors, trading leads with investigators in other cities and flying to Israel to interview authorities. Agents wanted to investigate the mosque itself, viewing it as a gold mine of information that could help their inquiry into terrorism financing, said Mark Flessner, the former prosecutor who led the investigation.  Before the 2001 legislation, intelligence gathered with the special wiretaps could not be used for criminal cases. If prosecutors wanted information on the same targets, they needed to get their own wiretap orders after meeting the higher legal burden of proving there was probable cause to suspect criminal activity. Only after the Sept. 11 attacks did the government's interest in Hamas and mosque leaders materialize.<ref>[http://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/2580 US Investigating Mosque Foundation] Militant Islam Monitor.org</ref>

After the [[Patriot Act]] passed shortly after 9-11, prosecutors were granted access to years' worth of surveillance previously unavailable to them. Federal actions led directly to terror-funding schemes and the organizations behind them. It became an expose about a complex web of small businesses and charitable associations accused of funneling money to Palestinian terrorist groups.

After the [[Patriot Act]] passed shortly after 9–11, prosecutors were granted access to years' worth of surveillance previously unavailable to them. Federal actions led directly to terror-funding schemes and the organizations behind them. It became an expose about a complex web of small businesses and charitable associations accused of funneling money to Palestinian terrorist groups.

==Mistrial==

==Mistrial==