Politics
Michigan Independent incorrectly labels Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed as a veteran
The Democratic candidate's campaign strongly rejected the label after it appeared on the front page of the affiliated publication.
The short version
- The Michigan Independent distributed an August 2026 issue with a headline erroneously referring to Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed as a veteran.
- El-Sayed's campaign denounced the description, clarifying that he has never served in the military or claimed veteran status.
- The American Independent, the affiliated entity behind the print publication, did not comment on the error.
Key facts
- An August 2026 print edition of The Michigan Independent ran a front-page headline describing Abdul El-Sayed as a 'veteran, doctor, and former health official.'[Fox News]
- The body of the article made no mention of military service or veteran status.[Fox News]
- El-Sayed campaign spokesperson Cole Wozniak condemned the error, stating the candidate has never claimed to be a veteran.[Fox News]
- The American Independent Foundation, listed on the newspaper's cover, received a $500,000 grant from George Soros' Foundation to Promote Open Society in 2024.[Fox News]
- American Independent Media, an affiliated 501(c)(4) group, received $23.5 million in 2024 from the AB Foundation, an entity linked to Democratic operative David Brock's American Bridge organization.[Fox News]
What remains uncertain
- The exact scope and geographic scale of the print newspaper's distribution across Michigan remain unverified.[Fox News]