Mike Rogers's allegation about Abdul El-Sayed's campaign received funding from a terrorist organization
Mike Rogers accused Abdul El-Sayed of funding his Senate campaign with terrorist-group money. The case examines the allegation, FEC records documenting outside-support transfers, related public responses, and whether any record establishes a direct payment from a designated organization.
Case period:
Published by The Dispute Index editorial teamPublished Updated
Overview
The campaign transcript establishes that Rogers made the assertion; it does not identify a donor or substantiate a funding relationship. The reviewed FEC records document payments from CAIR Action to Unity & Justice Fund and a later receipt by Fighting for Michigan PAC, an independent-expenditure-only committee that supported El-Sayed. They do not establish any payment from a U.S.-designated Muslim Brotherhood branch to Abdul for U.S. Senate, or trace the same dollars through the outside-support chain.
Background: What does a U.S. terrorist designation do?
People in this case
Mike RogersDirectly involved
Abdul El-SayedDirectly involved
Timeline
15 timeline entries on this page. Dates: March 5, 2026 to October 22, 2026
March 2026
FEC records a CAIR Action contribution to Unity & Justice Fund
An FEC receipt record reports a $75,000 contribution from CAIR Action to Unity & Justice Fund. The record does not identify a payment to Abdul for U.S. Senate.
[01]FEC receipt record for CAIR Action’s March 2026 payment to Unity & Justice Fund
The FEC receipt record identifies a $75,000 payment from CAIR Action to Unity & Justice Fund. It documents a contribution between two organizations; it does not show a payment to Abdul for U.S. Senate or establish that either organization is a federally designated terrorist organization.
FEC receipt record for CAIR Action’s March 2026 payment to Unity & Justice FundUnity & Justice Fund (C00881011); receipt dated March 5, 2026; FEC image 202604209863216164
July 2026
FEC records a second CAIR Action contribution to Unity & Justice Fund
An FEC receipt record reports a $100,000 contribution from CAIR Action to Unity & Justice Fund. The record does not identify a payment to Abdul for U.S. Senate.
[02]FEC receipt record for CAIR Action’s July 2026 payment to Unity & Justice Fund
The FEC receipt record identifies a $100,000 payment from CAIR Action to Unity & Justice Fund. It documents a contribution between two organizations; it does not show a payment to Abdul for U.S. Senate or establish that either organization is a federally designated terrorist organization.
FEC receipt record for CAIR Action’s July 2026 payment to Unity & Justice FundUnity & Justice Fund (C00881011); receipt dated July 20, 2026; FEC image 202608259903395877FEC records Unity & Justice Fund’s receipt to Fighting for Michigan PAC
An FEC report records a $175,000 receipt from Unity & Justice Fund by Fighting for Michigan PAC, an independent-expenditure-only committee. The record does not show a payment to El-Sayed’s campaign committee or trace the same dollars from CAIR Action.
[03]FEC report showing Unity & Justice Fund’s July 2026 receipt to Fighting for Michigan PAC
The report records a $175,000 receipt from Unity & Justice Fund on July 21, 2026. Fighting for Michigan PAC is an independent-expenditure-only PAC that reported spending in support of El-Sayed. This record does not show a transfer from that PAC to El-Sayed’s campaign committee or establish that the payment contained the same funds previously received from CAIR Action.
FEC report showing Unity & Justice Fund’s July 2026 receipt to Fighting for Michigan PACFighting for Michigan PAC (C00919373), August 2026 monthly report; Schedule A, line 11C, transaction SA11C.4739, CSV line 116[04]FEC committee profile for Fighting for Michigan PAC
The FEC identifies Fighting for Michigan PAC (C00919373) as an independent-expenditure-only committee that is not authorized by El-Sayed’s campaign. This establishes that the PAC’s reported support is outside spending rather than a direct transfer to Abdul for U.S. Senate.
FEC committee profile for Fighting for Michigan PACCommittee C00919373; committee type and authorization status[05]FEC independent-expenditure records for Fighting for Michigan PAC and Abdul El-Sayed
The FEC’s independent-expenditure records list reported expenditures by Fighting for Michigan PAC naming El-Sayed as a candidate. Such records establish outside spending by the PAC, not direct contributions or transfers to Abdul for U.S. Senate.
FEC independent-expenditure records for Fighting for Michigan PAC and Abdul El-SayedFighting for Michigan PAC (C00919373); independent-expenditure entries naming Abdul El-Sayed
September 2026
Rogers alleges El-Sayed is funding his campaign with terrorist-group money
Claim
At a Republican National Convention midterm speech, Mike Rogers said Abdul El-Sayed was funding his campaign with money from terrorist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood. He did not name a donor, amount, or campaign-finance filing in the speech.
[06]Mike Rogers
The campaign publishes the complete speech text and links its full recording at https://youtu.be/caqS8edf8p4. Rogers attributes the 9/11-deserved sentiment to Piker and criticizes El-Sayed's association with him; his running-mate language is rhetorical. A separate passage renews the accusation that El-Sayed excused the Temple Israel attack. The transcript also includes Rogers's separate campaign-finance allegation; it establishes that Rogers made the statement but does not identify a donor, amount, or supporting campaign-finance filing. The publication timestamp is the campaign page's; it is not the speech's recording time.
Mike Rogers's full September 10 convention speech · Mike RogersFull campaign-published transcript; passage beginning That's why I never imagined; later Temple Israel passage beginning We saw that testedEl-Sayed campaign and Michigan Democratic Party respond to Rogers’s address
Reaction
The El-Sayed campaign and Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel as criticizes Rogers’s convention address.
[07]Rogers uses RNC midterm platform to attack El-Sayed as Dems push back against Islamophobic rhetoric
Source excerpt
resorting to shameful lies Rogers’ remarks were dangerous and desperate, and they were beneath the office he seeks.
Michigan Advance report by Ben Solis on Rogers's September 10 convention address and the responses to it. The address included the campaign-finance allegation. Neither Roxie Richner's nor Curtis Hertel's quoted words mention the funding sentence, so neither response is recorded as a denial of it.
Rogers uses RNC midterm platform to attack El-Sayed as Dems push back against Islamophobic rhetoricSection headed "Democrats label Rogers' remarks as pure Islamophobia": Richner's statement in its opening paragraphs and Hertel's statement in its closing paragraphs.Rogers repeats the allegation on Fox Business in weaker wording
Claim
In a Fox Business interview posted by his own campaign, Rogers says El-Sayed “takes money from organizations tied to the Muslim Brotherhood.” This is a materially weaker formulation than his September 10 convention statement that El-Sayed was funding his campaign with money from “terrorist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood.” Neither he nor his campaign withdrew the earlier wording, and the campaign’s September 15 demand that the money be returned remained live.
[08]Rogers campaign: “Mike Rogers on Fox Business: We Don’t Want This Socialism Nonsense In Our State”
Source excerpt
This is a guy that takes money from organizations tied to the Muslim Brotherhood. He would not condemn it.
Transcript posted by the Rogers campaign of his September 17 appearance on Fox Business’s Varney & Co. The wording differs materially from his September 10 convention speech: there he said El-Sayed was funding his campaign with money from “terrorist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood”; here he says “organizations tied to the Muslim Brotherhood.” The campaign’s September 15 “return the money” page remains live, so this is a change of formulation rather than a retraction.
Rogers campaign: “Mike Rogers on Fox Business: We Don’t Want This Socialism Nonsense In Our State”First block quotation, under the heading on El-Sayed’s platform.
October 2026
Rogers ad says El-Sayed raises money from people who finance terrorist networks
Claim
Rogers released Threat, an ad he approved, in which a narrator says El-Sayed raises money from dangerous people who finance terrorist networks and associates his family with the Muslim Brotherhood and al-Qaeda. The Washington Reporter said the ad was part of a seven-figure buy coordinated with the National Republican Senatorial Committee. The ad names no donor or relative.
[09]Mike Rogers
Campaign ad posted on Rogers's YouTube channel and approved by Rogers. A Persian-American narrator says El-Sayed raises money from people who finance terrorist networks and associates his family with the Muslim Brotherhood and al-Qaeda. The ad names no donor or relative.
Rogers campaign ad Threat (30-second version) · Mike RogersFull 30-second ad, narration from 0:06[10]Washington Reporter reports Rogers and NRSC ad buy on El-Sayed
The Washington Reporter, which obtained the ad before release, reports that Threat is part of a seven-figure buy coordinated between the Rogers campaign and the National Republican Senatorial Committee, to run statewide on digital and streaming platforms.
Washington Reporter reports Rogers and NRSC ad buy on El-SayedOpening paragraphs describing the ad Threat and the buyRogers renews donor-link allegation in Fox interview
Claim
In a Fox interview published by his campaign, Rogers alleged that people funding the Muslim Brotherhood also fund El-Sayed's campaign. The transcript identifies no donor or transaction establishing that allegation.
[11]Rogers campaign transcript of October Fox interview
Campaign transcript of Rogers's interview with Martha MacCallum. It records his allegation about donors; it does not establish a payment from a designated organization.
Rogers campaign transcript of October Fox interviewSection: On Abdul El-Sayed's Ties to the Muslim BrotherhoodRogers repeats terrorist-funding allegation on X
Claim
Rogers alleged that El-Sayed was bought off by several donors and registered terrorist organizations. He did not identify an organization or transaction in the post. The assertion remains Rogers's allegation.
[12]Rogers repeats funding allegation in October 8 post
Rogers alleges ties to donors and terrorist organizations. The post supplies no named organization or transaction supporting the terrorist-funding allegation.
Rogers repeats funding allegation in October 8 postOriginal post text; displayed October 8 publication dateRogers raises El-Sayed's mother's former employer at first debate
Claim
At the first televised debate, in Grand Rapids, Rogers suggested El-Sayed might have a family member on a watch list, then said he was going after the organization El-Sayed's mother had worked for, which he said was indicted for funneling money to al-Qaeda. El-Sayed said Rogers was going after his mother and sister to avoid his own record. Rogers also repeated his allegation that El-Sayed takes money from supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, Hezbollah and al-Qaeda, without naming a donor.
[13]WOOD TV8 video of the October 8 Michigan U.S. Senate debate
WOOD TV8's recording of the hourlong Grand Rapids debate between Abdul El-Sayed and Mike Rogers, moderated by Rick Albin. During a question on Flock cameras, Rogers raised the possibility of a family member on a watch list, then referred to the organization El-Sayed's mother had worked for.
WOOD TV8 video of the October 8 Michigan U.S. Senate debate16:02-16:16 Rogers on El-Sayed's donors; 40:44-41:46 watch-list remark, exchange about El-Sayed's mother and El-Sayed's rebuttal[14]Mediaite
Mediaite quotes the exchange in which Rogers raised a watch list and the organization El-Sayed's mother worked for, followed by El-Sayed's rebuttal. Its transcript renders a few words differently from the broadcast recording.
Mediaite transcribes the debate exchange over El-Sayed's mother · MediaitePassage following the Flock Safety cameras exchange[15]PolitiFact
PolitiFact reports that El-Sayed's mother worked for the Islamic American Relief Agency from 1999 to 2004, that Treasury designated the group in 2004 for supporting terrorism, and that she was not charged with a crime. A correction adds that court documents tie her to wire transfers prosecutors said violated Iraq sanctions, without establishing that the money financed terrorism. It says Rogers cherry-picked donations and associations in his donor claim.
PolitiFact checks Rogers's debate claims about El-Sayed's mother and donors · PolitiFactFact-checks of Mike Rogers: the claim about El-Sayed's mother, the donor claim, and the October 9 correction notePolitiFact checks Rogers's debate claims about El-Sayed's mother and donors
PolitiFact reported that El-Sayed's mother worked for the Islamic American Relief Agency from 1999 to 2004 and was not charged with a crime. Treasury listed that name as an alias of the Islamic African Relief Agency network when it designated the network in 2004 for supporting terrorism. A PolitiFact correction added that court documents tie her to wire transfers prosecutors said violated Iraq sanctions, without establishing that the money financed terrorism. PolitiFact also said Rogers cherry-picked donations and associations in his donor claim.
[15]PolitiFact
PolitiFact reports that El-Sayed's mother worked for the Islamic American Relief Agency from 1999 to 2004, that Treasury designated the group in 2004 for supporting terrorism, and that she was not charged with a crime. A correction adds that court documents tie her to wire transfers prosecutors said violated Iraq sanctions, without establishing that the money financed terrorism. It says Rogers cherry-picked donations and associations in his donor claim.
PolitiFact checks Rogers's debate claims about El-Sayed's mother and donors · PolitiFactFact-checks of Mike Rogers: the claim about El-Sayed's mother, the donor claim, and the October 9 correction note[16]U.S. Department of the Treasury
Treasury designated the worldwide IARA network and five senior officials under Executive Order 13224 and listed Islamic American Relief Agency among the network's aliases. It said overseas branches gave money to Osama bin Laden. The release names no U.S. employees of the group.
Treasury designates the Islamic African Relief Agency network (2004) · U.S. Department of the TreasuryPress release JS-2025: opening paragraphs and alias list naming the Islamic American Relief AgencyEl-Sayed denies Muslim Brotherhood ties on Meet the Press
Reaction
Asked on NBC's Meet the Press whether he or his family have ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, El-Sayed said no and said Rogers's strategy was to single him out by his name and faith. Rogers replied on X that afternoon that the denial was a lie.
[17]NBC News
Full Meet the Press interview with Kristen Welker. Asked whether he or his family have ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, El-Sayed answers no, then says Rogers's strategy is to point to his name and faith.
NBC News: Abdul El-Sayed's full Meet the Press interview, October 11 · NBC News22:05-23:20, question about Rogers's debate attacks and Muslim Brotherhood ties[18]Jewish Insider reports El-Sayed's Meet the Press denial
Jewish Insider reports that El-Sayed denied on Meet the Press that he or his family have ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, and quotes his answer about Rogers's strategy. It also summarizes recent reports about his mother's former employer and his sister-in-law.
Jewish Insider reports El-Sayed's Meet the Press denialOpening paragraphs on the Meet the Press exchange[19]Rogers calls El-Sayed's Meet the Press denial a lie
Rogers's campaign account posted this after El-Sayed's Meet the Press interview, with a clip of the exchange. The post names no organization or person.
Rogers calls El-Sayed's Meet the Press denial a lieOriginal post textFree Beacon reports half-sister's posts on family Brotherhood ties
The Washington Free Beacon reported 2012 and 2013 social media posts in which El-Sayed's half-sister, Eman Abdelhadi, wrote that her family had long been Muslim Brotherhood. A follow-up report on October 12 cited her June 2012 post describing their mother's activism in the group during college in Egypt in the early 1970s. Rogers cited the half-sister's posts on October 12. The reports do not identify which relatives are members.
[20]Free Beacon reports half-sister's posts about family Muslim Brotherhood ties
The Washington Free Beacon reports that El-Sayed's half-sister, Eman Abdelhadi, wrote in 2012 and 2013 that her family had long been Muslim Brotherhood and that relatives were jailed over membership. The report says it is unclear which relatives on their mother's side are members.
Free Beacon reports half-sister's posts about family Muslim Brotherhood tiesOpening paragraphs quoting Eman Abdelhadi's 2012 and 2013 posts[21]Free Beacon reports sister's post about mother's college activism
The Washington Free Beacon reports a June 2012 post in which Abdelhadi described a talk with her mother about her activism in the Muslim Brotherhood during college in the early 1970s. The report relies on that post and on El-Sayed's book, which describes his mother as a campus leader without naming the group.
Free Beacon reports sister's post about mother's college activismOpening paragraphs quoting Abdelhadi's June 2012 post[22]Rogers cites El-Sayed's half-sister on family Brotherhood ties
Pinned post with a campaign video. Rogers cites the half-sister's account reported by the Washington Free Beacon and calls on El-Sayed to address what he calls family ties to terrorism.
Rogers cites El-Sayed's half-sister on family Brotherhood tiesOriginal post textUndercover video shows an organizer alleging overseas donations to El-Sayed
Source release
O'Keefe Media Group released undercover video of Abdoul Beckwith, described as a Michigan Democratic Party regional field organizer, saying El-Sayed has people from overseas who donate to him. Foreign nationals may not contribute to U.S. campaigns, though U.S. citizens living abroad may. El-Sayed's campaign said Beckwith never worked for it and that it complies with FEC rules, and the state party said he no longer works for the coordinated campaign.
[23]The National News Desk
The National News Desk reports the O'Keefe Media Group undercover video of organizer Abdoul Beckwith, the statements from El-Sayed's campaign and the Michigan Democratic Party, and James O'Keefe's response.
Organizer in hidden video alleges overseas donations to El-Sayed; campaign denies claim · The National News DeskFull article (The National News Desk story as published by KEYE)[24]Democratic organizer fired after alleging Abdul El-Sayed is taking foreign money in Michigan Senate race: report
The New York Post reports the undercover video, the campaign's denial and the Michigan Democratic Party's statement that the organizer no longer works for the coordinated campaign.
Free Beacon reports donations from listed letter signers; one donor disputes signature
Source release
The Free Beacon reports at least $25,850 in contributions from men it identifies with a 2012 pro-Morsi letter. Its total combines El-Sayed's 2018 gubernatorial and current Senate campaigns. Khaled Elsayes acknowledges donating but denies signing the letter. The report does not by itself establish direct payments by a terrorist organization.
[25]Free Beacon reports donor links and a donor's denial of signing a 2012 letter
The report combines contributions to two election campaigns. Elsayes acknowledges donating but denies signing the cited letter. The underlying contributions and signatures were not all independently re-audited.
Free Beacon reports donor links and a donor's denial of signing a 2012 letterContribution totals, named donors and Khaled Elsayes response
Claims
Claims separate what was said from what is contested. Follow each source for the original wording and context.
What's disputed
Disputed claim
Abdul El-Sayed is funding his campaign with money from terrorist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood.
Sources (1)
- Mike Rogers's full September 10 convention speech · Mike RogersFull campaign-published transcript; passage beginning That's why I never imagined; later Temple Israel passage beginning We saw that tested
Disputed claim
National Republican Senatorial Committee
The Council on American-Islamic Relations is a designated terrorist organization.
Sources (2)
- NRSC: “Mike Rogers Calls On Abdul To Return CAIR Donations” · National Republican Senatorial CommitteeOpening paragraph of the committee’s release.
- The Midwesterner: “Rogers calls on El-Sayed to return nearly $130,000 from CAIR-affiliated donors”Paragraph carrying the campaign’s figure, and the paragraph setting out CAIR’s designation status.
Disputed claim
El-Sayed has received $129,693 in contributions from current and former CAIR employees, board members and other affiliated individuals.
Sources (1)
- The Midwesterner: “Rogers calls on El-Sayed to return nearly $130,000 from CAIR-affiliated donors”Paragraph carrying the campaign’s figure, and the paragraph setting out CAIR’s designation status.
Disputed claim
The organization El-Sayed's mother worked for was indicted for funneling money to al-Qaeda.
Sources (4)
- WOOD TV8 video of the October 8 Michigan U.S. Senate debate16:02-16:16 Rogers on El-Sayed's donors; 40:44-41:46 watch-list remark, exchange about El-Sayed's mother and El-Sayed's rebuttal
- Mediaite transcribes the debate exchange over El-Sayed's mother · MediaitePassage following the Flock Safety cameras exchange
- PolitiFact checks Rogers's debate claims about El-Sayed's mother and donors · PolitiFactFact-checks of Mike Rogers: the claim about El-Sayed's mother, the donor claim, and the October 9 correction note
- Treasury designates the Islamic African Relief Agency network (2004) · U.S. Department of the TreasuryPress release JS-2025: opening paragraphs and alias list naming the Islamic American Relief Agency
Disputed claim
Abdul El-Sayed's family has long been part of the Muslim Brotherhood.
Sources (3)
- Rogers cites El-Sayed's half-sister on family Brotherhood tiesOriginal post text
- Free Beacon reports half-sister's posts about family Muslim Brotherhood tiesOpening paragraphs quoting Eman Abdelhadi's 2012 and 2013 posts
- Free Beacon reports sister's post about mother's college activismOpening paragraphs quoting Abdelhadi's June 2012 post
Arguments
Editorial analysis
This synthesis relies on the cited FEC filings and CAIR Action’s own description of its affiliation.
Documented outside-support funding chain
Federal filings document $75,000 in March and $100,000 in July from CAIR Action to Unity & Justice Fund, followed by a $175,000 July receipt from Unity & Justice Fund to Fighting for Michigan PAC. FEC records list independent expenditures by that PAC naming El-Sayed. Those records establish a documented chain of outside political support connected to organizations named in the broader public debate.
Limit of this argument
The filings do not trace the same fungible dollars through the chain, do not show a transfer to El-Sayed’s candidate committee, and do not establish that CAIR or CAIR Action is a federally designated terrorist organization.
Read sources and related claim
Related claim
Abdul El-Sayed is funding his campaign with money from terrorist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood.
Sources
- FEC receipt record for CAIR Action’s March 2026 payment to Unity & Justice FundUnity & Justice Fund (C00881011); receipt dated March 5, 2026; FEC image 202604209863216164
- FEC receipt record for CAIR Action’s July 2026 payment to Unity & Justice FundUnity & Justice Fund (C00881011); receipt dated July 20, 2026; FEC image 202608259903395877
- FEC report showing Unity & Justice Fund’s July 2026 receipt to Fighting for Michigan PACFighting for Michigan PAC (C00919373), August 2026 monthly report; Schedule A, line 11C, transaction SA11C.4739, CSV line 116
- FEC committee profile for Fighting for Michigan PACCommittee C00919373; committee type and authorization status
- FEC independent-expenditure records for Fighting for Michigan PAC and Abdul El-SayedFighting for Michigan PAC (C00919373); independent-expenditure entries naming Abdul El-Sayed
Editorial analysis
This synthesis relies on Rogers’s transcript, contemporaneous reporting, and official campaign-finance and designation records.
No documented direct payment from a designated organization
Rogers’s speech named no donor, amount, campaign-finance filing, or Muslim Brotherhood branch. Associated Press reported that he offered no proof. The FEC records distinguish El-Sayed’s candidate committee from Fighting for Michigan PAC, an independent-expenditure-only committee whose spending is reported separately, while Treasury’s release designates particular branches rather than an unspecified generic organization. The evidence reviewed does not establish that El-Sayed’s campaign committee received money from a federally designated terrorist organization.
Limit of this argument
The record includes direct individual campaign contributions and documented outside spending in support of El-Sayed, so future review should examine any specific donor or organization named with primary documentation.
Read sources and related claim
Related claim
Abdul El-Sayed is funding his campaign with money from terrorist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood.
Sources
- Mike Rogers's full September 10 convention speech · Mike RogersFull campaign-published transcript; passage beginning That's why I never imagined; later Temple Israel passage beginning We saw that tested
- FEC committee overview for Abdul for U.S. SenateFinancial summary for the 2026 cycle; coverage through July 15, 2026
- FEC report showing Unity & Justice Fund’s July 2026 receipt to Fighting for Michigan PACFighting for Michigan PAC (C00919373), August 2026 monthly report; Schedule A, line 11C, transaction SA11C.4739, CSV line 116
- Treasury and State Departments designate Muslim Brotherhood branchesSections describing Egyptian, Jordanian, and Lebanese Muslim Brotherhood branches and their designation status
- Associated Press coverage of the September 10 RNC midterm conventionConvention coverage discussing Rogers’s allegation about El-Sayed
- MIRS reporting on Rogers’s El-Sayed funding allegationSections discussing individual donors affiliated with CAIR and federal designation status
- FEC committee profile for Fighting for Michigan PACCommittee C00919373; committee type and authorization status
- FEC independent-expenditure records for Fighting for Michigan PAC and Abdul El-SayedFighting for Michigan PAC (C00919373); independent-expenditure entries naming Abdul El-Sayed
Response record
Responses
Choose one response filter, or select All responses to see the full record.
17 matching responses. First 6 shown initially. Newest first.
Mike RogersRepublican U.S. Senate nominee in MichiganDirectly involvedBefore this statement
Welker says Trump has called El-Sayed a violent terrorist, adds that there is no proof of that, and asks Rogers whether he agrees and whether the label meets his standards.
"No, I don’t. I’ve never called him a terrorist. I’ve never called him a terrorist."
Challenged the characterizationCase context: Mike Rogers's allegation about Abdul El-Sayed's campaign received funding from a terrorist organization
Full statement and sources
Asked on Meet the Press whether he agrees with Trump calling El-Sayed a violent terrorist, Rogers says he does not and that he has never called El-Sayed a terrorist. Earlier in the same interview he said El-Sayed gets money from groups that support the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas and Hezbollah.
After the statement
He goes on to say El-Sayed has "pretty radical support groups that don't like America" and that voters ought to decide the election on those issues.
NBC interviews Rogers about El-Sayed and campaign fundingMike Rogers interview, exchange on alleged Muslim Brotherhood fundingWhy this label?
Relative to the allegation that El-Sayed's campaign takes money from terrorist-linked groups, Rogers rejects the terrorist label for El-Sayed himself. Earlier in the same interview he repeated his claim about the money. He disputes a label, not the funding claim, so challenging the characterization fits better than condemns or a denial.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
- Mike RogersRepublican U.S. Senate nominee in Michigan, at the second televised debateDirectly involved
Before this statement
In his own rebuttal, El-Sayed had said Rogers was bought off by weapons manufacturers and backed by AIPAC.
"So being bought off by the Muslim Brotherhood, having donors to his campaign from Hamas that support Hezbollah is not a problem?"
CondemnedCase context: Mike Rogers's allegation about Abdul El-Sayed's campaign received funding from a terrorist organization
Full statement and sources
In a debate rebuttal, Rogers says El-Sayed is bought off by the Muslim Brotherhood and has campaign donors from Hamas.
After the statement
Rogers went on to call El-Sayed a risk to national security. After the debate, he told reporters he questions whether El-Sayed could get a security clearance if elected, CBS News reported.
Full Michigan Senate Debate: Abdul El-Sayed and Mike RogersRogers's rebuttal about 15:26-15:51; El-Sayed's answer about 30:26-30:55 (audio transcribed by us)In final Michigan Senate debate, El-Sayed ties Rogers to Trump, while Rogers says El-Sayed is untrustworthy · CBS NewsFull article (updated October 21, 2026, 11:17 p.m. EDT)Why this label?
Relative to the case's question of whether El-Sayed's campaign took money from terrorist-linked sources, Rogers repeats the allegation and uses it against El-Sayed. The label records his stance, not whether the allegation is true.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
Abdul El-SayedDemocratic U.S. Senate nominee in Michigan, at the second televised debateDirectly involvedBefore this statement
During the debate, Rogers again tried to link El-Sayed to the Muslim Brotherhood.
"He keeps raising this question about this association with an organization I've never been a part of."
DeniedCase context: Mike Rogers's allegation about Abdul El-Sayed's campaign received funding from a terrorist organization
Full statement and sources
Responding to Rogers at the final debate, El-Sayed says he has never been part of the organization Rogers keeps tying him to.
After the statement
El-Sayed said it was beneath Rogers to call into question his commitment to the Constitution.
Full Michigan Senate Debate: Abdul El-Sayed and Mike RogersRogers's rebuttal about 15:26-15:51; El-Sayed's answer about 30:26-30:55 (audio transcribed by us)In final Michigan Senate debate, El-Sayed ties Rogers to Trump, while Rogers says El-Sayed is untrustworthy · CBS NewsFull article (updated October 21, 2026, 11:17 p.m. EDT)Why this label?
Relative to the allegations that El-Sayed and his family have terrorist or Muslim Brotherhood ties, El-Sayed says he has never been part of the organization. He also criticizes Rogers for raising it, but his direct answer is a denial.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
Abdul for U.S. SenateEl-Sayed's Senate campaign, through communications director Roxie RichnerDirectly involvedBefore this statement
In an undercover video released by O'Keefe Media Group, Abdoul Beckwith, described as a Michigan Democratic Party regional field organizer, said El-Sayed has people from overseas who donate to him.
"The Abdul for Senate campaign is fully in compliance with FEC regulations"
DeniedCase context: Mike Rogers's allegation about Abdul El-Sayed's campaign received funding from a terrorist organization
Full statement and sources
Responding to an undercover video, El-Sayed's campaign says the organizer never worked for it and that it is fully in compliance with FEC regulations.
After the statement
The Michigan Democratic Party said Beckwith's claims were categorically false and that he no longer works for the coordinated campaign.
Organizer in hidden video alleges overseas donations to El-Sayed; campaign denies claim · The National News DeskFull article (The National News Desk story as published by KEYE)Why this label?
Relative to the case's question of whether El-Sayed's campaign took money from terrorist-linked or foreign sources, the campaign denies the organizer's overseas-donation claim and says it follows federal campaign finance rules.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
- Mike RogersRepublican U.S. Senate nominee in Michigan, posting from his campaign account on XDirectly involved
Before this statement
El-Sayed had told NBC's Meet the Press that morning that neither he nor his family has ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.
"This morning, Abdul El-Sayed was asked about his family’s ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. And he denied it — an outright lie. The truth is, Abdul and his family have surrounded themselves with some of the most heinous organizations and anti-American actors in history."
CondemnedResponding to: Abdul El-Sayed's family has long been part of the Muslim Brotherhood.
Full statement and sources
Rogers said El-Sayed lied when he denied on Meet the Press that his family has ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, and said El-Sayed and his family have surrounded themselves with heinous organizations. The post names no organization or person.
After the statement
He wrote that El-Sayed is too extreme for the U.S. Senate.
Rogers calls El-Sayed's Meet the Press denial a lieOriginal post textNBC News: Abdul El-Sayed's full Meet the Press interview, October 11 · NBC News22:05-23:20, question about Rogers's debate attacks and Muslim Brotherhood tiesWhy this label?
Relative to the allegations of El-Sayed's terrorist and Muslim Brotherhood ties, Rogers rejects El-Sayed's denial and restates the allegation against him and his family, consistent with his other statements here.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
- Abdul El-SayedDemocratic U.S. Senate nominee in Michigan, interviewed on NBC's Meet the PressDirectly involved
Before this statement
Kristen Welker said Rogers had repeatedly tried to tie El-Sayed and his family to the Muslim Brotherhood. El-Sayed first said Rogers only wanted to repeat the word Muslim. Asked to set the record straight on whether he or his family had any ties to the group, he said no. Welker asked again whether he had any ties, and he said no. She then asked whether his family did.
"No. Let me ask you, though, why this is even a subject of debate. Because his only strategy is to point to me and my name and my faith and to say that we're different."
DeniedResponding to: Abdul El-Sayed's family has long been part of the Muslim Brotherhood.
Full statement and sources
Asked on Meet the Press whether he or his family have ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, El-Sayed said no, and answered no again to each follow-up. He said Rogers's strategy was to single him out by his name and faith.
After the statement
He said Rogers wants voters to suspect people because they pray differently, and that there are many more ways people are the same.
NBC News: Abdul El-Sayed's full Meet the Press interview, October 11 · NBC News22:05-23:20, question about Rogers's debate attacks and Muslim Brotherhood tiesJewish Insider reports El-Sayed's Meet the Press denialOpening paragraphs on the Meet the Press exchangeWhy this label?
Relative to the allegations that El-Sayed and his family have terrorist or Muslim Brotherhood ties, El-Sayed says plainly that neither he nor his family has ties to the group. He adds an attack on Rogers's motive, but his direct answer is a denial.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
Show fewer responses
- Abdul El-SayedDemocratic U.S. Senate nominee in Michigan, at the first televised debateDirectly involved
Before this statement
Rogers had just said the organization El-Sayed's mother worked for was indicted for funneling money to al-Qaeda. The moderator gave El-Sayed a rebuttal and said the debate was moving away from the subject.
"He wants this to be about anything but his own record. He's okay if the federal government spies on you, but he wants to make this about anybody else, going after my mom, my sister."
Challenged the characterizationResponding to: The organization El-Sayed's mother worked for was indicted for funneling money to al-Qaeda.
Full statement and sources
In his rebuttal, El-Sayed said Rogers was going after his mother and sister to avoid his own record, then turned to his campaign platform.
After the statement
El-Sayed said he was a dad and a doctor trying to get money out of politics and pass Medicare for All. Rogers interjected that he was not really a doctor.
WOOD TV8 video of the October 8 Michigan U.S. Senate debate16:02-16:16 Rogers on El-Sayed's donors; 40:44-41:46 watch-list remark, exchange about El-Sayed's mother and El-Sayed's rebuttalMediaite transcribes the debate exchange over El-Sayed's mother · MediaitePassage following the Flock Safety cameras exchangeWhy this label?
Relative to the allegations that El-Sayed has terrorist ties, El-Sayed casts Rogers's remark about his mother as a diversion from Rogers's record. He disputes the framing of the attack without addressing the organization or its designation, so challenging the characterization fits better than a denial.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
- Mike RogersRepublican U.S. Senate nominee in Michigan, at the first televised debateDirectly involved
Before this statement
During a question on Flock cameras, Rogers said surveillance programs helped catch terrorism suspects and asked why that would bother El-Sayed if he had someone in his family on the watch list. El-Sayed told him to say it outright and asked whether Rogers was going after his mother.
"I'm not going after your mom. What your mom was working at, I was going after that organization that was indicted for funneling money to al-Qaeda. Look, that's your mom."
CondemnedResponding to: The organization El-Sayed's mother worked for was indicted for funneling money to al-Qaeda.
Full statement and sources
After suggesting El-Sayed might have a relative on a watch list, Rogers said he was going after the organization El-Sayed's mother had worked for, which he said was indicted for funneling money to al-Qaeda.
After the statement
Rogers said his own mother worked at a local chamber of commerce. Newsweek reported that El-Sayed's mother worked for the Islamic American Relief Agency from 1999 to 2004 and was never charged with a crime. Treasury designated the group's worldwide network in 2004 for supporting terrorism.
WOOD TV8 video of the October 8 Michigan U.S. Senate debate16:02-16:16 Rogers on El-Sayed's donors; 40:44-41:46 watch-list remark, exchange about El-Sayed's mother and El-Sayed's rebuttalMediaite transcribes the debate exchange over El-Sayed's mother · MediaitePassage following the Flock Safety cameras exchangeTreasury designates the Islamic African Relief Agency network (2004) · U.S. Department of the TreasuryPress release JS-2025: opening paragraphs and alias list naming the Islamic American Relief AgencyNewsweek explains Rogers's debate line about El-Sayed's mother · NewsweekSection headed What Did Rogers Say About El-Sayed's MomWhy this label?
Relative to the allegations that El-Sayed has ties to terrorist funding, Rogers extends the attack to the organization his mother worked for and contrasts it with his own mother's job. He criticizes El-Sayed through the association, consistent with his other statements here. The label does not assess his description of the organization.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
- Mike RogersRepublican U.S. Senate nominee in Michigan, at the first televised debateDirectly involved
Before this statement
Rogers began by saying El-Sayed repeats himself like a glitchy AI chatbot.
"He has taken money from groups associated and support the Muslim Brotherhood. He has taken money from individuals on his campaign who openly support Hamas, Hezbollah, al-Qaeda."
CondemnedResponding to: Abdul El-Sayed is funding his campaign with money from terrorist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood.
Full statement and sources
At the October 8 debate, Rogers said El-Sayed had taken money from groups he said support the Muslim Brotherhood, and from individuals on his campaign who he said openly support Hamas, Hezbollah and al-Qaeda. He named no donor or group in the passage.
After the statement
He went on to say the George Soros family had paid for El-Sayed's education and was paying for his campaign. PolitiFact said Rogers was cherry-picking donations and associations.
NewsNation video of the October 8 Michigan U.S. Senate debate15:46-16:04, Rogers on El-Sayed's donors during the prescription drug exchangePolitiFact checks Rogers's debate claims about El-Sayed's mother and donors · PolitiFactFact-checks of Mike Rogers: the claim about El-Sayed's mother, the donor claim, and the October 9 correction noteWhy this label?
Relative to the case's question of whether El-Sayed's campaign took money from terrorist-linked sources, Rogers asserts the allegation again and uses it against El-Sayed, as in his earlier statements here. The label records his stance, not whether the allegation is true.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
- Mike RogersRepublican U.S. Senate candidate from MichiganDirectly involved
Before this statement
Rogers posted after the Senate debate. The date is recorded to the day.
"Abdul's bought off by the Soros family, big corporations, Chuck Schumer, and registered terrorist organizations."
CondemnedCase context: Mike Rogers's allegation about Abdul El-Sayed's campaign received funding from a terrorist organization
Full statement and sources
Rogers alleged improper funding and argued against El-Sayed's election.
After the statement
He urged voters to prevent El-Sayed from reaching the Senate.
Rogers repeats funding allegation in October 8 postOriginal post text; displayed October 8 publication dateWhy this label?
He criticizes the alleged funding as grounds to oppose El-Sayed.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
- Mike RogersRepublican U.S. Senate candidate from MichiganDirectly involved
Before this statement
The campaign published his Fox interview with Martha MacCallum.
"Because his campaign is funded by people who fund the Muslim Brotherhood."
CondemnedCase context: Mike Rogers's allegation about Abdul El-Sayed's campaign received funding from a terrorist organization
Full statement and sources
Rogers criticized alleged donor links. His assertion does not establish a payment.
After the statement
Rogers used the allegation to criticize El-Sayed's response to the organization.
Rogers campaign transcript of October Fox interviewSection: On Abdul El-Sayed's Ties to the Muslim BrotherhoodWhy this label?
He expressly criticizes the alleged campaign-funding conduct.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
- Mike RogersRepublican nominee for the U.S. Senate in Michigan, interviewed on Fox Business’s Varney & Co.Directly involved
Before this statement
Said during a Fox Business interview, in a passage that also referenced Hasan Piker, the Houthis and Hezbollah. The transcript was posted by Rogers’s own campaign.
"This is a guy that takes money from organizations tied to the Muslim Brotherhood. He would not condemn it."
CondemnedResponding to: Abdul El-Sayed is funding his campaign with money from terrorist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood.
Full statement and sources
On Fox Business, Rogers again said El-Sayed takes money from organisations connected to the Muslim Brotherhood, using the wording “organizations tied to” rather than the “terrorist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood” formulation of his September 10 convention speech.
After the statement
Rogers named no donor, amount or campaign-finance filing in this interview either. Neither he nor his campaign has withdrawn the September 10 formulation.
Rogers campaign: “Mike Rogers on Fox Business: We Don’t Want This Socialism Nonsense In Our State”First block quotation, under the heading on El-Sayed’s platform.Why this label?
On whether El-Sayed’s campaign received funding from a terrorist organisation, Rogers again asserts the allegation and criticises El-Sayed for it, matching the label on his earlier statements here. The editorially significant feature is not the label but the wording: “organizations tied to the Muslim Brotherhood” is a materially weaker claim than funding by “terrorist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood,” since it asserts a connection rather than identity. He does not withdraw the earlier formulation, and his campaign’s September 15 page demanding the money be returned remained live, so this is a change of formulation rather than a retraction.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
- Abdul El-SayedDemocratic nominee, U.S. Senate (Michigan)Directly involved
Before this statement
Directly asked at a September 15, 2026 Fox 2 Detroit debate/town hall whether he would return the CAIR-affiliated donations Rogers had demanded back.
"I'm focused on you and your gas prices and the price of your groceries. He's focused on trying to turn this into some kind of culture war."
Challenged the characterizationCase context: Mike Rogers's allegation about Abdul El-Sayed's campaign received funding from a terrorist organization
Full statement and sources
Abdul El-Sayed declined to say whether he would return CAIR-linked campaign donations Mike Rogers had demanded back, defended CAIR as "a civil rights organization," and characterized Rogers's attack as an attempt to make the race about "the color of my skin or how I pray."
After the statement
Rogers skipped the debate, citing alleged moderator bias.
Why this label?
El-Sayed declines to return the CAIR-linked donations Rogers demanded back and defends CAIR as a civil rights organization, characterizing Rogers's funding allegation as a culture-war attack rather than directly engaging its factual premise — challenging the characterization without conceding or fully rebutting the underlying claim.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
- Mike RogersMichigan Republican Senate nomineeDirectly involved
Before this statement
Published as a campaign press release on September 15, 2026, five days after Rogers's original, more general convention allegation.
"Abdul has repeatedly accepted money from terrorist organizations... Nearly $130,000 from donors with identified connections to CAIR... including national board chair Manal Fakhoury, national board treasurer Eyas Abdeen, national board vice chair Emad Sabbah, and Michigan board member Muzammil Ahmed."
CondemnedCase context: Mike Rogers's allegation about Abdul El-Sayed's campaign received funding from a terrorist organization
Full statement and sources
Mike Rogers's campaign published a press release naming specific CAIR-connected donors and a dollar figure to support his earlier terrorist-financing allegation against Abdul El-Sayed.
After the statement
No response has yet been found from El-Sayed's campaign, CAIR Action, or the Unity & Justice Fund;.
Why this label?
Rogers escalates his original allegation with specific donor names and a dollar figure, an express, more detailed condemnation continuing his original position.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
- Abdul for U.S. SenateAbdul El-Sayed campaign, through spokesperson Roxie RichnerDirectly involved
Before this statement
Michigan Advance reported that Richner responded to Rogers's convention address, which included Rogers's statement that El-Sayed was funding his campaign with money from terrorist groups.
"resorting to shameful lies"
CondemnedCase context: Mike Rogers's allegation about Abdul El-Sayed's campaign received funding from a terrorist organization
Full statement and sources
Responding to Rogers’s September 10 convention address, El-Sayed campaign spokesperson Roxie Richner characterized claims in the address as “shameful lies.”
After the statement
The article quotes her as saying Rogers and his allies were "resorting to shameful lies" about El-Sayed. Her quoted words do not mention the campaign-finance allegation, so we do not treat this as a direct denial of it.
Rogers uses RNC midterm platform to attack El-Sayed as Dems push back against Islamophobic rhetoricSection headed "Democrats label Rogers' remarks as pure Islamophobia": Richner's statement in its opening paragraphs and Hertel's statement in its closing paragraphs.Why this label?
The campaign rejected the characterization advanced in Rogers's address. Richner's quoted words did not name or deny the campaign-finance allegation, so this response concerns the address as a whole.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
- Mike RogersRepublican nominee for U.S. Senate in Michigan, speaking at the RNC midterm conventionDirectly involved
Before this statement
During a campaign speech at a Republican National Convention midterm event, Rogers discussed El-Sayed’s association with Hasan Piker before turning to campaign finance.
"Abdul is funding his campaign with money from terrorist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood."
CondemnedResponding to: Abdul El-Sayed is funding his campaign with money from terrorist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood.
Full statement and sources
At a 2026 midterm convention event, Rogers alleged that El-Sayed’s Senate campaign was funded by terrorist groups, naming the Muslim Brotherhood as an example. This records Rogers’s accusation, not an established finding about campaign funding.
After the statement
Rogers continued by saying El-Sayed wanted money out of politics except from “recognized terrorist organizations.” The cited passage identifies no particular donor, contribution, or organization that gave money to the campaign.
Mike Rogers's full September 10 convention speech · Mike RogersFull campaign-published transcript; passage beginning That's why I never imagined; later Temple Israel passage beginning We saw that testedWhy this label?
Rogers uses the allegation to condemn El-Sayed’s campaign. The classification describes Rogers’s stated stance and does not assess whether the funding allegation is true.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
- Abdul El-SayedDemocratic nominee for U.S. Senate in MichiganDirectly involved
Before this statement
Bridge Detroit reported that El-Sayed was responding to attacks by Rogers and other opponents that sought to link him to the Muslim Brotherhood.
"They’re going to keep trying to divide us because they got no answers around the problems that unite us."
Challenged the characterizationCase context: Mike Rogers's allegation about Abdul El-Sayed's campaign received funding from a terrorist organization
Full statement and sources
Before Rogers’s September 10 funding allegation, El-Sayed said opponents’ recurring attacks were attempts to divide voters rather than address shared problems.
After the statement
The quote predates Rogers’s September 10 allegation concerning campaign financing. It is included as relevant context for the recurring narrative, not as a response to that later claim.
Fact check: No evidence Abdul El-Sayed ‘pledged support’ to Muslim BrotherhoodLines 101–103, 109–110Why this label?
El-Sayed challenged the broader characterization behind recurring Muslim Brotherhood-related attacks. He did not address the later campaign-finance allegation in this statement.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
Sources
(49)
Official statement
Mike Rogers's full September 10 convention speech
Relevant passage: Full campaign-published transcript; passage beginning That's why I never imagined; later Temple Israel passage beginning We saw that tested
About this source
The campaign publishes the complete speech text and links its full recording at https://youtu.be/caqS8edf8p4. Rogers attributes the 9/11-deserved sentiment to Piker and criticizes El-Sayed's association with him; his running-mate language is rhetorical. A separate passage renews the accusation that El-Sayed excused the Temple Israel attack. The transcript also includes Rogers's separate campaign-finance allegation; it establishes that Rogers made the statement but does not identify a donor, amount, or supporting campaign-finance filing. The publication timestamp is the campaign page's; it is not the speech's recording time.
- Author
- Mike Rogers; published by Alyssa Brouillet for Rogers for Senate
- Published
- Accessed
Original post
Bonilla praises Rogers's handling of CNN questions about CAIR funding
About this source
The post praises Rogers's argument and includes a video excerpt. Its reference to funding is an endorsement of that line of argument, not independent financial evidence.
- Author
- Jorge Bonilla
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
Free Beacon reports donor links and a donor's denial of signing a 2012 letter
Relevant passage: Contribution totals, named donors and Khaled Elsayes response
About this source
The report combines contributions to two election campaigns. Elsayes acknowledges donating but denies signing the cited letter. The underlying contributions and signatures were not all independently re-audited.
- Author
- Jon Levine
- Published
- Accessed
Analysis
Hammer argues donors show organizational support for El-Sayed
Relevant passage: Donation paragraphs and sentence beginning These are the groups
About this source
HotAir publishes a Creators-syndicated column. October 18 is this publication's date; other outlets carried it earlier. The column's allegations are not proof that an organization transferred money.
- Author
- Josh Hammer
- Published
- Accessed
Analysis
Morrissey argues El-Sayed's financial relationships deserve investigation
Relevant passage: Financial-links list and concluding assessment of news coverage
About this source
Morrissey endorses scrutiny of the claimed connections. His characterizations of donors and organizations are attributed allegations, not findings adopted here.
- Author
- Ed Morrissey
- Published
- Accessed
Interview
NBC interviews Rogers about El-Sayed and campaign funding
Relevant passage: Mike Rogers interview, exchange on alleged Muslim Brotherhood funding
About this source
NBC's transcript records Rogers's allegation and Welker's challenge. The allegation is not an established finding.
- Author
- NBC News
- Published
- Accessed
Analysis
Mike Rogers keeps lying about Abdul El-Sayed. We counted the ways
Relevant passage: Detroit Metro Times analysis, October 21, 2026; section headed "An inflated counterterrorism resume".
About this source
Detroit Metro Times analysis of Rogers's statements about El-Sayed, published before their second debate. It calls the 9/11 claim false, cites PolitiFact's ratings and says the paper will stop seeking comment from Rogers's campaign.
- Author
- Steve Neavling, Detroit Metro Times
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
Democratic organizer fired after alleging Abdul El-Sayed is taking foreign money in Michigan Senate race: report
Relevant passage: Full article
About this source
The New York Post reports the undercover video, the campaign's denial and the Michigan Democratic Party's statement that the organizer no longer works for the coordinated campaign.
- Author
- Victor Nava
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
Organizer in hidden video alleges overseas donations to El-Sayed; campaign denies claim
Relevant passage: Full article (The National News Desk story as published by KEYE)
About this source
The National News Desk reports the O'Keefe Media Group undercover video of organizer Abdoul Beckwith, the statements from El-Sayed's campaign and the Michigan Democratic Party, and James O'Keefe's response.
- Author
- Geoff Harris
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
'He hates our country': Trump calls El-Sayed 'a Muslim Brotherhood guy'
Relevant passage: Full article (as published by TNND stations, e.g. foxbaltimore.com)
About this source
The National News Desk reports that Trump said at a White House event on Thursday, October 15, that El-Sayed is 100% affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood, and that El-Sayed has repeatedly denied ties to the group.
- Author
- Jessica A. Botelho
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
New questions dog El-Sayed about alleged family ties to Muslim Brotherhood
Relevant passage: Full article
About this source
Fox News Digital reports Trump's remarks about El-Sayed at a lunch in the White House Rose Garden on October 15, 2026, and El-Sayed's earlier denial on Meet the Press.
- Author
- Louis Casiano
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
In final Michigan Senate debate, El-Sayed ties Rogers to Trump, while Rogers says El-Sayed is untrustworthy
Relevant passage: Full article (updated October 21, 2026, 11:17 p.m. EDT)
About this source
CBS News report on the October 21 debate, including Rogers's Muslim Brotherhood and national security attack and El-Sayed's response.
- Author
- Aaron Navarro
- Published
- Accessed
Original video
Full Michigan Senate Debate: Abdul El-Sayed and Mike Rogers
About this source
Scripps News's upload of the second and final Michigan U.S. Senate debate, hosted by WXYZ-TV in Southfield on October 21, 2026. The quoted wording is our transcription of the audio.
- Author
- Scripps News
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
Washington Reporter reports Rogers and NRSC ad buy on El-Sayed
Relevant passage: Opening paragraphs describing the ad Threat and the buy
About this source
The Washington Reporter, which obtained the ad before release, reports that Threat is part of a seven-figure buy coordinated between the Rogers campaign and the National Republican Senatorial Committee, to run statewide on digital and streaming platforms.
- Author
- Washington Reporter
- Published
- Accessed
Original video
Rogers campaign ad Threat (30-second version)
About this source
Campaign ad posted on Rogers's YouTube channel and approved by Rogers. A Persian-American narrator says El-Sayed raises money from people who finance terrorist networks and associates his family with the Muslim Brotherhood and al-Qaeda. The ad names no donor or relative.
- Author
- Rogers for Senate
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
Newsweek explains Rogers's debate line about El-Sayed's mother
Relevant passage: Section headed What Did Rogers Say About El-Sayed's Mom
About this source
Newsweek reports that El-Sayed's mother worked for the Islamic American Relief Agency from 1999 to 2004, according to a conservative Michigan outlet, and that she was never charged with a crime or accused of wrongdoing. It notes Treasury's 2004 designation of the network and later sanctions convictions of agency officials.
- Author
- Andrew Stanton
- Published
- Accessed
Original video
NewsNation video of the October 8 Michigan U.S. Senate debate
About this source
NewsNation, which carried the debate with WOOD TV8, posted this recording of the full Grand Rapids debate between Abdul El-Sayed and Mike Rogers.
- Author
- NewsNation
- Published
- Accessed
Original video
Hasan Piker's October 11 Twitch stream on El-Sayed's Meet the Press interview
Relevant passage: 3:52:40-3:53:45, reaction to the Meet the Press question about Rogers's attacks
About this source
Piker plays the Meet the Press exchange on his stream and criticizes the decision to put Rogers's accusations to El-Sayed.
- Author
- Hasan Piker (HasanAbi)
- Published
- Accessed
Original text
Trump's Truth Social post on the Michigan Senate debate
Relevant passage: Original post text
About this source
Posted shortly after midnight Eastern time following the October 8 debate. Trump calls El-Sayed Mohammad; his first name is Abdul. The archived copy reproduces the post text.
- Author
- Donald Trump (@realDonaldTrump)
- Published
- Accessed
Original post
Rogers cites El-Sayed's half-sister on family Brotherhood ties
About this source
Pinned post with a campaign video. Rogers cites the half-sister's account reported by the Washington Free Beacon and calls on El-Sayed to address what he calls family ties to terrorism.
- Author
- Mike Rogers (@MikeRogersForMI)
- Published
- Accessed
Original post
Rogers calls El-Sayed's Meet the Press denial a lie
About this source
Rogers's campaign account posted this after El-Sayed's Meet the Press interview, with a clip of the exchange. The post names no organization or person.
- Author
- Mike Rogers (@MikeRogersForMI)
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
Free Beacon reports sister's post about mother's college activism
Relevant passage: Opening paragraphs quoting Abdelhadi's June 2012 post
About this source
The Washington Free Beacon reports a June 2012 post in which Abdelhadi described a talk with her mother about her activism in the Muslim Brotherhood during college in the early 1970s. The report relies on that post and on El-Sayed's book, which describes his mother as a campus leader without naming the group.
- Author
- Chuck Ross
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
Free Beacon reports half-sister's posts about family Muslim Brotherhood ties
Relevant passage: Opening paragraphs quoting Eman Abdelhadi's 2012 and 2013 posts
About this source
The Washington Free Beacon reports that El-Sayed's half-sister, Eman Abdelhadi, wrote in 2012 and 2013 that her family had long been Muslim Brotherhood and that relatives were jailed over membership. The report says it is unclear which relatives on their mother's side are members.
- Author
- Chuck Ross
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
Jewish Insider reports El-Sayed's Meet the Press denial
Relevant passage: Opening paragraphs on the Meet the Press exchange
About this source
Jewish Insider reports that El-Sayed denied on Meet the Press that he or his family have ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, and quotes his answer about Rogers's strategy. It also summarizes recent reports about his mother's former employer and his sister-in-law.
- Author
- Danielle Cohen-Kanik
- Published
- Accessed
Original video
NBC News: Abdul El-Sayed's full Meet the Press interview, October 11
About this source
Full Meet the Press interview with Kristen Welker. Asked whether he or his family have ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, El-Sayed answers no, then says Rogers's strategy is to point to his name and faith.
- Author
- NBC News (interview by Kristen Welker)
- Published
- Accessed
Official statement
Treasury designates the Islamic African Relief Agency network (2004)
Relevant passage: Press release JS-2025: opening paragraphs and alias list naming the Islamic American Relief Agency
About this source
Treasury designated the worldwide IARA network and five senior officials under Executive Order 13224 and listed Islamic American Relief Agency among the network's aliases. It said overseas branches gave money to Osama bin Laden. The release names no U.S. employees of the group.
- Author
- U.S. Department of the Treasury
- Published
- Accessed
Analysis
PolitiFact checks Rogers's debate claims about El-Sayed's mother and donors
Relevant passage: Fact-checks of Mike Rogers: the claim about El-Sayed's mother, the donor claim, and the October 9 correction note
About this source
PolitiFact reports that El-Sayed's mother worked for the Islamic American Relief Agency from 1999 to 2004, that Treasury designated the group in 2004 for supporting terrorism, and that she was not charged with a crime. A correction adds that court documents tie her to wire transfers prosecutors said violated Iraq sanctions, without establishing that the money financed terrorism. It says Rogers cherry-picked donations and associations in his donor claim.
- Author
- Caleb McCullough and Loreben Tuquero
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
Mediaite transcribes the debate exchange over El-Sayed's mother
Relevant passage: Passage following the Flock Safety cameras exchange
About this source
Mediaite quotes the exchange in which Rogers raised a watch list and the organization El-Sayed's mother worked for, followed by El-Sayed's rebuttal. Its transcript renders a few words differently from the broadcast recording.
- Author
- Alex Griffing
- Published
- Accessed
Original video
WOOD TV8 video of the October 8 Michigan U.S. Senate debate
About this source
WOOD TV8's recording of the hourlong Grand Rapids debate between Abdul El-Sayed and Mike Rogers, moderated by Rick Albin. During a question on Flock cameras, Rogers raised the possibility of a family member on a watch list, then referred to the organization El-Sayed's mother had worked for.
- Author
- WOOD TV8
- Published
- Accessed
Original post
Rogers repeats funding allegation in October 8 post
About this source
Rogers alleges ties to donors and terrorist organizations. The post supplies no named organization or transaction supporting the terrorist-funding allegation.
- Author
- Mike Rogers
- Published
- Accessed
Official statement
Rogers campaign transcript of October Fox interview
Relevant passage: Section: On Abdul El-Sayed's Ties to the Muslim Brotherhood
About this source
Campaign transcript of Rogers's interview with Martha MacCallum. It records his allegation about donors; it does not establish a payment from a designated organization.
- Author
- Mike Rogers
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
Rogers uses RNC midterm platform to attack El-Sayed as Dems push back against Islamophobic rhetoric
Relevant passage: Section headed "Democrats label Rogers' remarks as pure Islamophobia": Richner's statement in its opening paragraphs and Hertel's statement in its closing paragraphs.
Excerpt
"resorting to shameful lies Rogers’ remarks were dangerous and desperate, and they were beneath the office he seeks."
About this source
Michigan Advance report by Ben Solis on Rogers's September 10 convention address and the responses to it. The address included the campaign-finance allegation. Neither Roxie Richner's nor Curtis Hertel's quoted words mention the funding sentence, so neither response is recorded as a denial of it.
- Author
- Ben Solis
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
The Midwesterner: “Rogers calls on El-Sayed to return nearly $130,000 from CAIR-affiliated donors”
Relevant passage: Paragraph carrying the campaign’s figure, and the paragraph setting out CAIR’s designation status.
Excerpt
"CAIR itself is not federally designated as a terrorist organization. The organization was named an unindicted co-conspirator in the federal Holy Land Foundation terrorism-financing prosecution, while Texas and Florida have taken state-level actions against CAIR identifying it as a terrorist organization."
About this source
Michigan outlet reporting the Rogers campaign’s figure of $129,693 in contributions from current and former CAIR employees, board members and affiliated individuals, and separately stating in its own voice that CAIR is not federally designated as a terrorist organization. The $129,693 figure is the campaign’s own review of filings; it has not been independently confirmed against FEC records for this case.
- Author
- Bruce Edward Walker
- Published
- Accessed
Official statement
NRSC: “Mike Rogers Calls On Abdul To Return CAIR Donations”
Relevant passage: Opening paragraph of the committee’s release.
Excerpt
"Mike Rogers just called on Abdul El-Sayed to return all of his donations from the Council on American–Islamic Relations (CAIR) associates. CAIR is a designated terrorist organization whose affiliates have donated nearly $130,000 to Abdul since launching his Senate campaign."
About this source
Press release in which the NRSC adopts the allegation in its own institutional voice rather than quoting Rogers. Its assertion that CAIR “is a designated terrorist organization” is contested: CAIR is not federally designated in the United States. It was named an unindicted co-conspirator in the Holy Land Foundation prosecution, and Texas and Florida have taken state-level designation actions. The release also describes Jukaku Tayeb as “former President of CAIR Michigan” where the Rogers campaign’s own release of the same date says he is the current president.
- Author
- National Republican Senatorial Committee
- Published
- Accessed
Original text
Rogers campaign: “Mike Rogers on Fox Business: We Don’t Want This Socialism Nonsense In Our State”
Relevant passage: First block quotation, under the heading on El-Sayed’s platform.
Excerpt
"This is a guy that takes money from organizations tied to the Muslim Brotherhood. He would not condemn it."
About this source
Transcript posted by the Rogers campaign of his September 17 appearance on Fox Business’s Varney & Co. The wording differs materially from his September 10 convention speech: there he said El-Sayed was funding his campaign with money from “terrorist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood”; here he says “organizations tied to the Muslim Brotherhood.” The campaign’s September 15 “return the money” page remains live, so this is a change of formulation rather than a retraction.
- Author
- Rogers for Senate
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
El-Sayed pressed on Piker, Israel, socialist ties after Rogers skips Senate debate
Excerpt
"I'm focused on you and your gas prices and the price of your groceries. He's focused on trying to turn this into some kind of culture war."
About this source
Fox News report on the September 15, 2026 Fox 2 Detroit Senate debate/town hall, at which El-Sayed was pressed on whether he would return CAIR-linked donations.
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
Mike Rogers Calls on Abdul El-Sayed to Return All His Donations From CAIR
About this source
National outlet pickup of the Sept. 15 Rogers campaign press release.
- Author
- Dmitri Bolt
- Published
- Accessed
Official statement
RETURN THE MONEY, ABDUL (Rogers for Senate press release)
Excerpt
"Abdul has repeatedly accepted money from terrorist organizations... Nearly $130,000 from donors with identified connections to CAIR... including national board chair Manal Fakhoury, national board treasurer Eyas Abdeen, national board vice chair Emad Sabbah, and Michigan board member Muzammil Ahmed."
About this source
Campaign press release naming specific CAIR-connected donors and a dollar figure for the first time, escalating the Sept. 10 convention allegation. Underlying donor figures trace to an Aug. 5, 2026 Fox News review, not a new campaign-finance filing.
- Author
- Mike Rogers for Senate
- Published
- Accessed
Archived source
FEC independent-expenditure records for Fighting for Michigan PAC and Abdul El-Sayed
Relevant passage: Fighting for Michigan PAC (C00919373); independent-expenditure entries naming Abdul El-Sayed
About this source
The FEC’s independent-expenditure records list reported expenditures by Fighting for Michigan PAC naming El-Sayed as a candidate. Such records establish outside spending by the PAC, not direct contributions or transfers to Abdul for U.S. Senate.
- Author
- Federal Election Commission
- Accessed
Archived source
FEC committee profile for Fighting for Michigan PAC
Relevant passage: Committee C00919373; committee type and authorization status
About this source
The FEC identifies Fighting for Michigan PAC (C00919373) as an independent-expenditure-only committee that is not authorized by El-Sayed’s campaign. This establishes that the PAC’s reported support is outside spending rather than a direct transfer to Abdul for U.S. Senate.
- Author
- Federal Election Commission
- Accessed
Reporting
MIRS reporting on Rogers’s El-Sayed funding allegation
Relevant passage: Sections discussing individual donors affiliated with CAIR and federal designation status
About this source
MIRS reports that an identified amount came from individual donors who work for or have held positions with CAIR, rather than from CAIR itself. That reporting is relevant to the allegation but does not establish that any individual acted for CAIR or a federally designated terrorist organization.
- Author
- MIRS
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
Associated Press coverage of the September 10 RNC midterm convention
Relevant passage: Convention coverage discussing Rogers’s allegation about El-Sayed
About this source
Associated Press reported Rogers’s campaign-funding allegation at the convention and stated that he offered no proof for it. The article confirms the allegation was made but is not itself evidence that El-Sayed’s campaign received money from a designated terrorist organization.
- Author
- The Associated Press
- Published
- Accessed
Official statement
CAIR Action’s description of its organizational affiliation
Relevant passage: About Us page
About this source
CAIR Action describes itself as a 501(c)(4) affiliate of CAIR. This self-description establishes the stated organizational relationship used in reviewing the FEC filings; it does not establish any federal terrorism designation or a contribution to El-Sayed’s campaign committee.
- Author
- CAIR Action
- Accessed
Official statement
Treasury and State Departments designate Muslim Brotherhood branches
Relevant passage: Sections describing Egyptian, Jordanian, and Lebanese Muslim Brotherhood branches and their designation status
About this source
Treasury states that the Egyptian and Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood branches were designated Specially Designated Global Terrorists, and that the Lebanese Muslim Brotherhood, also known as al-Jamaa al-Islamiyah, was designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization and SDGT. The release addresses named branches; it does not connect any of them to El-Sayed’s campaign, Unity & Justice Fund, or Fighting for Michigan PAC.
- Author
- U.S. Department of the Treasury
- Published
- Accessed
Archived source
FEC report showing Unity & Justice Fund’s July 2026 receipt to Fighting for Michigan PAC
Relevant passage: Fighting for Michigan PAC (C00919373), August 2026 monthly report; Schedule A, line 11C, transaction SA11C.4739, CSV line 116
About this source
The report records a $175,000 receipt from Unity & Justice Fund on July 21, 2026. Fighting for Michigan PAC is an independent-expenditure-only PAC that reported spending in support of El-Sayed. This record does not show a transfer from that PAC to El-Sayed’s campaign committee or establish that the payment contained the same funds previously received from CAIR Action.
- Author
- Federal Election Commission
- Published
- Accessed
Archived source
FEC receipt record for CAIR Action’s July 2026 payment to Unity & Justice Fund
Relevant passage: Unity & Justice Fund (C00881011); receipt dated July 20, 2026; FEC image 202608259903395877
About this source
The FEC receipt record identifies a $100,000 payment from CAIR Action to Unity & Justice Fund. It documents a contribution between two organizations; it does not show a payment to Abdul for U.S. Senate or establish that either organization is a federally designated terrorist organization.
- Author
- Federal Election Commission
- Published
- Accessed
Archived source
FEC receipt record for CAIR Action’s March 2026 payment to Unity & Justice Fund
Relevant passage: Unity & Justice Fund (C00881011); receipt dated March 5, 2026; FEC image 202604209863216164
About this source
The FEC receipt record identifies a $75,000 payment from CAIR Action to Unity & Justice Fund. It documents a contribution between two organizations; it does not show a payment to Abdul for U.S. Senate or establish that either organization is a federally designated terrorist organization.
- Author
- Federal Election Commission
- Published
- Accessed
Archived source
FEC committee overview for Abdul for U.S. Senate
Relevant passage: Financial summary for the 2026 cycle; coverage through July 15, 2026
About this source
The FEC identifies Abdul for U.S. Senate (C00902668) as Abdul El-Sayed’s principal campaign committee. Its displayed 2026-cycle financial summary reports aggregate receipts, including individual and other-committee contributions. Aggregate figures do not identify a particular contributor or establish that any receipt came from a designated terrorist organization.
- Author
- Federal Election Commission
- Accessed
Reporting
Fact check: No evidence Abdul El-Sayed ‘pledged support’ to Muslim Brotherhood
Relevant passage: Lines 101–103, 109–110
Excerpt
"El-Sayed said opponents would “keep trying to divide us.” CAIR-MI attorney Amy V. Doukoure said tying him to “bad actors” can stigmatize him."
About this source
Bridge Detroit reported on recurring allegations linking El-Sayed to the Muslim Brotherhood before Rogers’s September 10 campaign-finance statement. The article contains direct quotations from El-Sayed and Doukoure that characterize the broader pattern of attacks; neither quote directly addresses the later allegation about campaign funding.
- Author
- Lauren Gibbons
- Published
- Accessed
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Cite this record
- Publisher
- The Dispute Index
- Title
- Mike Rogers's allegation about Abdul El-Sayed's campaign received funding from a terrorist organization
- First published
- Last updated
- Permalink
- https://disputeindex.com/cases/mike-rogers-abdul-el-sayed-campaign-financing-allegation
The Dispute Index. "Mike Rogers's allegation about Abdul El-Sayed's campaign received funding from a terrorist organization". First published: 2026-09-11. Last updated: 2026-10-20. https://disputeindex.com/cases/mike-rogers-abdul-el-sayed-campaign-financing-allegation