Michigan Senate Candidate Faces Scrutiny Over Family Ties

Abdul El-Sayed, a Democratic candidate for the Michigan Senate, is under renewed examination after denying any family connections to the Muslim Brotherhood. During an appearance on NBC’s ‘Meet the Press,’ host Kristen Welker questioned El-Sayed about the allegations regarding his family’s ties to this controversial group.

El-Sayed responded firmly, saying, “No,” when asked if either he or his family had connections to the group. He implied that his Republican opponent, Mike Rogers, might be pushing Islamophobic narratives against him and his family.

“No,” El-Sayed repeated before suggesting his Republican opponent, Mike Rogers, was floating Islamophobic attacks against him and his family.

Despite El-Sayed’s denials, his half-sister, Eman Abdelhadi, posted on X (formerly Twitter) in 2012 about their mother’s involvement with the Muslim Brotherhood during her time in college. Abdelhadi shared, “Had an amazing talk with my mom about her activism in the Muslim Brotherhood during the early 70s while she was in college #respect.” These comments were highlighted by the Washington Free Beacon.

Their mother, Fatten Elkomy, attended Egypt’s Alexandria University, a place known for significant Muslim Brotherhood activity during the 1970s, as per a report by the Brookings Institution. Abdelhadi also noted in another post that while her family had long-standing connections to the Brotherhood, she felt the organization had managed political matters poorly.

“My family has long been MB, but I’ve always felt that it has navigated the political sphere poorly/destructively.”

In a separate post from 2013, Abdelhadi expressed concern for family members supporting the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, advising them to “lie low” and “stay safe.”

Critics accused El-Sayed of misleading the ‘Meet the Press’ audience. In response, a spokesperson for El-Sayed’s campaign informed Fox News of El-Sayed’s dedication as a father and doctor committed to the health and safety of Michigan residents. They emphasized that various independent fact-checkers have discredited Mike Rogers’ criticisms as dishonest attacks on El-Sayed’s faith and family.

The campaign further described the accusations about the Muslim Brotherhood as both baseless and racist. Meanwhile, NBC News has not yet replied to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

Joseph A. Wulfsohn, a media reporter for Fox News Digital, encourages tips and stories to be sent to his email or Twitter account.