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Checks, Connections, and Clout: Asha Jadeja on how political giving can shape influence in D.C.
Jadeja highlights the role of financial giving as a way to increase political influence in Washington.
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Malvika Choudhary - Tue, 07, Oct 2025
- 18:15 EDT
- 27
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Asha Jadeja Motwani, founder of the Motwani Jadeja Family Foundation. / MJF
Asha Jadeja, founder of the Motwani Jadeja Foundation, urged Indian Americans to become more politically visible in the United States by contributing financially, developing relationships, and actively participating at all levels of government.
“Crudely speaking, really, the best thing that seems to work is to write a check towards certain things,” she said during the latest edition of India Abroad Dialogue — “Speaking Up or Staying Quiet? Diaspora Perspectives on U.S. and India” on Oct. 7.
“Maybe help towards midterm elections, maybe support some candidates, go for dinners hosted by the Republican Party, and get to know people. Start forming a relationship with the Republicans.”
Describing herself as a “new republican,” Jadeja said her entry into Washington politics revealed that Indian American engagement with the Republican Party is still nascent. Sharing candid insights from her own experience as a donor, she said financial giving helps open doors and amplify community influence.
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“Once you write a check, you suddenly get on the radar of everybody in Washington, D.C. And I think it’s a wise thing to do. If you can afford it, I think it’s a wise thing to do,” Jadeja said, noting that her involvement with the GOP Senate leadership Fund led to direct communication with senior staff.
Jadeja is also hosting a Republican Diwali party at her California home, which senior republicans are expected to attend as part of fundraising efforts. “This is pretty common practice,” she said. “Apparently, in Washington, you have these dinners, people show up, and you raise some funding, but then you are on a phone call with very, very key people there.”
Jadeja, who spent three decades aligned with the Democratic Party before recently engaging with conservative circles, said she values dialogue across political lines.
“Even having conversations with the opposite side is important,” she said. “For me, because of my 30-year association with the Democratic Party — of course, all of them are my old friends — I sit across the table and have lunches, coffees with old friends, old enemies, new enemies, whatever you call it. But I communicate. I keep talking. And this is important to do.”
While she emphasized the importance of financial giving as a way to gain access and visibility, Jadeja concluded that participation must be inclusive.
“If you are on a campus, support a campus group that can give voice to our Indian American ideas, values, and aspirations,” she said. “Our children and grandchildren are growing up here. It’s important to communicate that we are Americans too—and that as we strengthen the U.S.–India corridor, we are strengthening America first.”
“Everyone can contribute in their own way,” she said. “For some, it may be writing a check. For others, it’s showing up, organizing, or simply starting conversations that matter. That’s how we build lasting visibility.”
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