Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed rejects claims of Muslim Brotherhood connections

Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed faced accusations from Republican Senate hopeful Mike Rogers during Wednesday night’s Michigan U.S. Senate debate that he had links to the Muslim Brotherhood and had advocated for defunding police forces abroad. Rogers referenced a 2012 letter, reported by The Washington Free Beacon, in which El-Sayed called on Egypt’s president, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, to purge the nation’s police.

"To bring into question my commitment to the Constitution is really beneath you," El-Sayed said, adding that he is proud of America and its constitutional protections.

El-Sayed also addressed social-media posts from his half-sister that alleged their mother was involved in Muslim Brotherhood activism in the 1970s, stating he has no personal or family ties to the organization and was not raised by his biological mother.

"I've never been a part because my mom, who's a nurse in Missouri, it doesn't make any sense. And it's actually really quite beneath you, Mike," he told the audience.

Rogers countered that the ideology is banned in several Muslim-majority countries and expressed concern about its potential impact on U.S. law-enforcement funding.

No verifiable evidence has been presented to confirm any affiliation between El-Sayed and the Muslim Brotherhood.