El-Sayed challenges Mike Rogers after Michigan primary victory
Senior national correspondent Rich Edson reports from Belleville, Michigan, as progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed wins the Democratic Senate primary, narrowly defeating Haley Stevens. Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., discusses El-Sayed's alignment with the Democratic Socialists of America platform, including healthcare and border policies.
DETROIT — A propaganda newspaper that once accepted a massive grant from George Soros’ Open Society Foundation falsely described beleaguered leftist Michigan U.S. Senate candidate as a veteran, according to a copy of that paper obtained by Fox News Digital.
"El-Sayed — veteran, doctor, and former health official — is Democratic Senate pick," reads a headline in the August 2026 edition of The Michigan Independent.
The papers were distributed in Michigan, and photos of the headline made the rounds on social media last week. The breadth of the paper's circulation is unclear, but Fox News Digital obtained a physical copy in Michigan.
Abdul El-Sayed, US Democratic Senate candidate from Michigan, speaks during the Michigan Democratic Party's 2026 nominating convention in Lansing, Michigan, US, on Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026. Since scoring a surprise victory in the Michigan Democratic primary, progressive Senate candidate El-Sayed is trying to push toward the middle to reach the more moderate electorate in a must-win state for the party in November. (Back) Newspaper clipping from The Michigan Independent falsely labeling Abdul El-Sayed a veteran. (Sarah Rice/Bloomberg via Getty Images; Obtained by Fox News Digital)
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The purportedly independent paper circulating in Michigan has a Washington, D.C. non-profit's name and address — The American Independent Foundation at 800 Maine Ave SW — emblazoned in the bottom left corner of the front cover.
As it turns out, the papers aren't independent at all.
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In 2024, The American Independent Foundation, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, received a $500,000 grant from George Soros' Foundation to Promote Open Society, according to that organization's IRS 990 disclosure form.
Soros, a billionaire businessman, investor and philanthropist, is a renowned leftist mega donor known for his support of progressive and Democratic causes. The Washington Free Beacon first reported the Soros connection.
The content of the Michigan Independent story mentions nothing of El-Sayed being a veteran, nor does it clarify that while El-Sayed holds an M.D., he has never been a physician.
George Soros pictured on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January 2020. (Simon Dawson/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
El-Sayed's campaign forcefully condemned the publication's classification of the candidate.
"Abdul has never claimed to be a veteran, he never would out of his respect for those who served, and any outlet or group writing about our campaign should do their homework and not allow this to happen again," spokesman Cole Wozniak told Fox News Digital.
The American Independent did not return Fox News Digital's request for comment.
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Twelve other state-based newspapers are part of the network Soros helped fund, including papers in key swing states like Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Virginia and others that have become increasingly important in the 2026 midterms due to competitive U.S. Senate races, including Maine and Alaska.
Some of the outlets share the same featured stories. At the time of this writing, both The Ohio Independent and The Pennsylvania Independent feature a story titled "Report: Trump and Big Oil see financial windfall as Americans pay more at pump".
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Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed speaks to members of the media ahead of the Michigan Democratic Party's 2026 nominating convention in Lansing, Mich., on Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026. (Sarah Rice/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
An associated 501(c)(4) political activism organization, American Independent Media, is also affiliated with the network of news outlets. Each state-based website says it is a project of American Independent Media whose mission is "to use journalism to educate the public, giving them the information they need about local and federal issues."
David Brock, founder of the far-left media watchdog Media Matters and a high-profile Democratic operative, is also connected to the shadowy network of papers.
He is the founder of the 501(c)(3) American Bridge, also a titan in left-wing politics. American Bridge's 501(c)(4) arm, the AB Foundation, donated $23.5 million to American Independent Media in 2024.
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Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed claps during a press conference in front of the Spirit of Detroit statue on Aug. 5, 2026, in Detroit. (Finn Gomez/Getty Images)
The story about El-Sayed was penned by Alyssa Burr, whose LinkedIn page says she's the Michigan Politics Reporter at The American Independent.
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She previously worked at MLive Media Group, which publishes prominent state newspaper Michigan Live, and before that, the New York Times.
