Abdul El-Sayed dubbed ‘veteran’ by Soros-linked propaganda newspaper distributed in Michigan
A newspaper distributed in Michigan and linked to a network partly funded by George Soros' Open Society Foundation falsely described Democratic US Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed as a military veteran. The August 2026 edition of The Michigan Independent ran the headline "El-Sayed — veteran, doctor, and former health official — is Democratic Senate pick," despite the article's own content making no mention of military service, and despite El-Sayed holding a medical degree but never having practised as a physician. El-Sayed's campaign strongly rejected the claim, saying he has never claimed to be a veteran and calling on outlets to fact-check before publishing.
The Michigan Independent is published via The American Independent Foundation, which received a $500,000 grant from Soros' Foundation to Promote Open Society in 2024, despite presenting itself as an independent local outlet. It is one of thirteen similarly branded state papers operating in competitive states such as Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Virginia, Maine and Alaska, some of which share identical stories. The network is also tied to American Independent Media, which received $23.5 million in 2024 from a foundation linked to David Brock, founder of Media Matters and American Bridge. The American Independent did not respond to a request for comment, and the reporter behind the story, Alyssa Burr, previously worked at MLive and the New York Times.
In short
- Michigan paper falsely called Senate hopeful El-Sayed a "veteran"
- Paper's publisher took a $500,000 grant from George Soros' foundation
- Part of 13-state network also tied to David Brock's American Bridge
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The campaign’s objection is well founded: calling El-Sayed a “veteran” ordinarily implies military service, and the article reportedly offers no basis for that description. A politically active outlet should correct a potentially misleading headline promptly, and its funding and network ties are relevant context for readers assessing its claims and independence.
The case against
The strongest defence is that the headline may have been an editorial error rather than a deliberate attempt to mislead, particularly since the article itself reportedly did not claim El-Sayed served in the military. The outlet’s funders and affiliations merit disclosure, but they do not by themselves establish that this specific mistake was politically motivated; judging that would require evidence about how it occurred and how the paper responded.
Explained simply
Abdul El-Sayed is a Democratic politician running for the US Senate in Michigan. He trained in medicine and previously led Michigan’s health department, but he has not served in the military and has not practised as a doctor.
The Michigan Independent is one of a group of state-branded newspapers published through The American Independent Foundation. The foundation received a grant from the Open Society network in 2024, and related media organisations have received funding from other political donors.
The story raises questions about how news outlets describe candidates and how readers can assess their independence. Those questions matter because voters rely on accurate information about candidates and the organisations reporting on them.