Michigan Democratic Senate nominee confirms relative was named in watchlist lawsuit

Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for the United States Senate in Michigan, confirmed over the weekend that his sister-in-law was involved in a federal terrorist watchlist lawsuit. The Daily Mail and Fox News both report that El-Sayed made the confirmation after previously denying allegations about his family's links to the list. He spoke after being confronted with court records. [1][2][3]

The lawsuit involved Mariam Jukaku, the sister of El-Sayed's wife, Sarah Jukaku. Court documents name Mariam Jukaku as a plaintiff in a 2016 legal challenge against her alleged placement on the federal Terrorism Screening Database. According to the Daily Mail and Fox News, this placement occurred during the Obama administration. The Daily Mail noted that El-Sayed insisted she did nothing wrong. [1][2][3]

Barack Obama assumed office as the 44th president of the United States in January 2009 and served until January 2017. As FTMQ News reported earlier, El-Sayed previously addressed his past criticisms of Obama's foreign, immigration, and healthcare policies, attributing those past comments to his younger self. [5][7]

The admission comes just days before former President Barack Obama is scheduled to campaign alongside El-Sayed in Michigan. Fox News reported that the joint campaign appearance is planned for late October. [1][2][3][7]