Wife of James “Fergie” Chambers says she is contesting U.S. bid to extradite him from Spain over Hamas-related allegations

James “Fergie” Chambers, a U.S. heir described in reporting as also an activist donor, has been detained in Spain for nearly a week as the United States seeks his extradition, his wife, Stella Schnabel, said Thursday, describing the situation as shocking and raising questions about how the allegations are being handled in the case.

Schnabel told The Guardian that the Trump administration is “falsely accusing” Chambers of contributing to Hamas. She said she did not break down until Thursday, when she finally reached him for several minutes, which she described as enough time for both of them to tell each other they love one another and for him to instruct her to relay a message to their children.

According to Schnabel’s account, the extradition process has unfolded while her husband has been held in Spain, limiting her access to him. She said she was able to speak to him only briefly by Thursday, after being separated for days, and she characterized it as “incredible” that such a situation could occur under the circumstances she described.

The reporting also frames Schnabel’s dispute in the context of the specific allegation she says is driving the U.S. request: that Chambers made contributions connected to Hamas. She asserted that those claims are not accurate, but the interview does not provide additional documentary detail in the reporting provided.

Schnabel’s comments highlight the strain extradition cases can place on family members while a request works its way through legal channels in the detaining country. In extradition disputes, questions can turn on whether alleged conduct is supported under applicable standards, whether the requesting government’s theory matches the allegations, and how contested facts will be assessed by courts.

The Guardian’s account presents Schnabel’s denial as part of an effort to fight the extradition, with her statements centered on the allegation’s accuracy and her ability to communicate with her husband while he remains detained in Spain.

With the situation continuing as of Thursday, the next steps in the case would depend on how Spain’s authorities and courts proceed with the U.S. extradition request and related contested issues raised by Chambers and his representatives, including the factual basis for the allegations Schnabel disputes.