Senate hearing examines Michigan Senate candidate's family and organizational ties

During a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee hearing on Muslim Brotherhood activity in the United States, Republican Senator Ted Cruz asked counterterrorism analyst Kyle Shideler whether the candidacy of Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed presented any security concerns. > "Yessir, it does," Shideler replied, noting that El-Sayed’s father-in-law, nephrologist Jukaku Tayeb, had previously served as president of the Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and was a member of the Islamic Society of North America Founders Committee. Shideler also cited El-Sayed’s association with Emgage, a voter-engagement organization that he said has connections to CAIR. He referenced the organization’s founding attorney, Khurrum Wahid, describing Wahid as a former CAIR member who had previously appeared on a federal watch list and had consulted for a convicted terrorist. The hearing also touched on broader concerns about potential links between the Muslim Brotherhood and political groups such as the Democratic Socialists of America, with Shideler stating that the two have collaborated in the past. El-Sayed’s campaign and the law firm representing Wahid were contacted for comment but did not respond. The hearing was noted for the absence of Democratic members of the subcommittee.