By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
An Egyptian-American activist previously sentenced to life in prison by an Egyptian court over alleged support for the Muslim Brotherhood contributed thousands of dollars to Michigan Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, while an organization he leads also donated to a political action committee supporting the candidate.
Mohamed Soltan, 38, president of the American Committee for Middle East Rights (ACMER), personally contributed $7,000 to El-Sayed’s campaign in April 2025, according to an August investigation by The Midwesterner.
The report also identified a $25,000 contribution from ACMER to Fighting for Michigan PAC, an independent political committee supporting El-Sayed’s Senate candidacy.
An additional review of campaign finance records published Aug. 26 identified contributions from other ACMER officials.
According to that report, ACMER Treasurer Muna Jondy donated $15,000 to Fighting for Michigan PAC and $7,000 directly to Abdul for U.S. Senate. ACMER Executive Director Kristina Blyad contributed $1,000 to El-Sayed’s campaign, while the organization’s affiliated MERIT PAC contributed another $1,500.
The reported contributions have drawn attention because of Soltan’s past prosecution in Egypt and his family’s connections to the Muslim Brotherhood.
Soltan was arrested in September 2013 following mass demonstrations against the Egyptian military’s removal of President Mohamed Morsi, whose government was backed by the Muslim Brotherhood.
His father, Salah Soltan, was a senior Muslim Brotherhood figure who served in Morsi’s administration and was also imprisoned following the military takeover.
Mohamed Soltan faced accusations involving membership in the outlawed organization, support for demonstrations and other alleged offenses.
An Egyptian court sentenced him to life imprisonment in April 2015.
However, the conviction was sharply criticized by the Obama administration, which questioned the proceedings and called for his release.
In an April 11, 2015, White House statement, the administration condemned the sentence and urged Egyptian authorities to release the American citizen.
Soltan had spent approximately 20 months in Egyptian custody and conducted a prolonged hunger strike to protest his detention.
The case attracted international attention as human rights organizations raised concerns about Egypt’s prosecution of political activists following Morsi’s removal.
In May 2015, Egyptian authorities released Soltan and allowed him to return to the United States after diplomatic intervention.
Amnesty International confirmed that Soltan was released May 30, 2015, after spending one year and nine months in prison.
The circumstances of his conviction remain significant to understanding the current controversy. Although Soltan was convicted in Egypt, that judgment does not establish that his subsequent political activities in the United States violated American law.
Since returning to the United States, Soltan has worked as a human rights advocate and has supported political candidates through lawful campaign contribution channels.
The Midwesterner reported that he made 96 political contributions beginning in 2016, supporting candidates from both major parties.
Among the recipients identified were Democrats Hillary Clinton, Chris Murphy and Tim Kaine, along with Republicans including Lance Gooden, William Timmons and Maria Elvira Salazar.
The contributions to El-Sayed are part of that broader history of political giving.
They also involve two different forms of campaign financing.
Individual donations to Abdul for U.S. Senate go directly to the candidate’s authorized committee and are subject to federal contribution limits.
Donations to Fighting for Michigan PAC support independent political expenditures rather than becoming funds controlled directly by El-Sayed’s campaign.
Federal law generally prohibits super PACs from coordinating their independent expenditures with candidates.
The Federal Election Commission identifies Abdul for U.S. Senate as El-Sayed’s authorized campaign committee, providing public access to its fundraising and expenditure disclosures.
The existence of contributions from Soltan or ACMER does not, by itself, demonstrate that El-Sayed supports the Muslim Brotherhood or participated in any unlawful financial activity.
However, the donations have become a political issue because of El-Sayed’s previous public statements concerning Egypt’s political upheaval.
In January 2011, El-Sayed wrote an opinion column addressing the demonstrations that eventually led to the overthrow of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
The Midwesterner reported that El-Sayed argued Americans should not assume a Muslim Brotherhood-led Egyptian government would necessarily resemble Iran’s political system.
His comments concerned the political consequences of the Egyptian uprising and the possibility of Islamist parties gaining power.
Critics have cited those writings in questioning his views toward the organization.
El-Sayed, a physician and former Wayne County health official, is running as the Democratic candidate for Michigan’s U.S. Senate seat in the Nov. 3 election.
His campaign has emphasized health care reform, economic policy and opposition to certain U.S. foreign policy decisions.
The controversy over contributions associated with Soltan comes amid broader scrutiny of the organizations and individuals financially supporting the Senate race.
Campaign finance records establish that political donations can be examined through federal disclosure requirements, while separate questions about a donor’s background require consideration of the legal and political circumstances involved.
In Soltan’s case, the documented history includes an Egyptian conviction, diplomatic intervention by the United States and his subsequent return to American civic and political activities.
The available reporting identifies donations from Soltan and ACMER-associated individuals to El-Sayed’s campaign and an independent supporting committee. It does not establish that those contributions were illegal or that El-Sayed had any involvement in Soltan’s prosecution in Egypt.
The disclosures nevertheless provide additional information about the sources of financial support behind El-Sayed’s Senate campaign as Michigan voters prepare for Election Day.
Original article
Comments