A Guardian review published October 29 examined a recurring claim in Michigan’s US Senate race: that candidate Abdul El-Sayed had publicly supported the Muslim Brotherhood. The paper reported that the 2012 open letter at the center of the allegation called for democratic change in Egypt and did not mention the Brotherhood.
The claim was first advanced by political activist Laura Loomer in 2018, according to the Guardian. Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers later repeated the assertion that El-Sayed had pledged support to the organization. The Guardian reviewed the letter’s text and reported that it urged Egypt’s then-president Mohamed Morsi to defend the democratic goals of the revolution. Morsi had previously been a Brotherhood member, but support for democratic institutions was not itself an endorsement of the movement.
What the source record shows
Egyptian journalist Hossam el-Hamalawy told the Guardian that the letter made no reference to the Brotherhood. The Guardian also noted that an Egyptian state newspaper’s headline described the signatories as Morsi supporters, although the signatories did not use that description themselves. Those distinctions separate the original document from later characterizations of it.
The article reported that El-Sayed’s half-sister posted in 2012 about family members’ past involvement with the Brotherhood. El-Sayed, who was raised by his father, has said he has no ties to the movement, the Guardian reported. A relative’s statements do not prove organizational membership by El-Sayed.
Branch-specific designations
Those actions apply to named branches and should not be generalized to every person accused of association.
The documented October development was the Guardian’s examination of an election claim, not a new action by the Brotherhood. Its reporting found the claim about the letter inaccurate and reported no evidence in the letter that El-Sayed endorsed the organization. See The Guardian’s review for the document history and cited evidence.