Sen. Daniel Inouye‘s trip to the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn, Mich., this week wasn’t just a cultural stopover. The senator was there to headline a fundraiser for Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich, a spokesman for Inouye told DC808.

The vast majority of guests were members of the Arab American community, and they paid up to $5,000 a head. Hassan Jaber, the CEO of Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS) introduced Inouye to attendees. 

“I understand it was a big crowd,” Inouye spokesman Peter Boylan said. 

The event came days after Stabenow’s best-ever fundraising quarter. She raised $1.5 million in the first three months of 2012. Supporters may have been galvanized by an attack ad by opponent and former Rep. Pete Hoekstra that many — including Inouye — condemned as racist.