RUTHFULLY YOURS

An Arab-American activist who attended an official outreach meeting at the White House last year has gotten back about $5000 in money he had frozen by a bank last week, but the reason the account was frozen remains unclear and a lawyer for the activist believes his indictment may be imminent.

Hatem Abudayyeh, who serves as executive director of the Chicago-based Arab-American Action Network, found himself unable to make ATM withdrawals on Friday and was told by bank officials that his account was frozen, his attorneys said.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago, which has been investigating Abudayyeh in connection with alleged financial support for designated terrorist groups, denied any involvement in the freeze. So too did the Treasury Department. Abudayyeh’s bank, TCF of Minneapolis, agreed to release the funds Tuesday and gave them back Wednesday, Abudayyeh lawyer  Michael Deutsch said.

Deutsch said the bank said it was electing to no longer do business with Abudayyeh. “It was the bank that did it. The [bank’s] lawyer refuses to tell me why other than the bank has the authority to discontinue a customer relationship for any reason,” Deutsch said. “I would assume that even if you want to fire someone as a customer you have to give their money back.”

Deutsch said he suspects Abudayyeh’s bank records were subpoenaed recently by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and that action prompted the bank to cut the American-born Palestinian activist off

Deutsch also said he thinks indictments will come soon in the investigation of self-style peace activists in Minneapolis and Chicago. Many of those involved in the probe have refused to testify before a grand jury in Chicago. There have been no reports that anyone was held in contempt or granted immunity in order to testify. So far, neither Abudayyeh nor anyone else has been charged in the probe.

“My best guess is indictments will come in the next short period of time,” Deutsch said.