Ted Cruz targets Abdul El-Sayed, alleges ties to Muslim Brotherhood network at Senate hearing

WASHINGTON, DC: Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) used a Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing on Wednesday, August 5, to target Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Dr Abdul El-Sayed.

He alleging that El-Sayed is connected to a network linked to the Muslim Brotherhood while criticizing Democratic lawmakers for boycotting the proceedings.

The hearing focused on allegations surrounding the Muslim Brotherhood's activities in the United States.

All Democratic members of the subcommittee declined to attend, saying the hearing unfairly targeted Muslim Americans, while Cruz argued the session was intended to examine national security concerns involving extremist organizations.

Ted Cruz targets Abdul El-Sayed at hearing

Opening the hearing, Cruz pointed to the empty Democratic seats and questioned why none of the minority members attended. "You may notice that there are empty chairs on the Democrat side of the dais," Cruz said.

"The American people should ask themselves why not a single member of the minority decided that a hearing on this matter was worth their time? It is an embarrassment."

Cruz then connected the hearing to El-Sayed's recent Democratic primary victory in Michigan, arguing that the timing reflected what he described as a broader shift within the Democratic Party.

"Abdul El-Sayed, the son-in-law of a leading member of several Brotherhood groups, won Michigan's Democrat primary for US Senate. Perfect timing for this hearing. Probably explains why no Democrats are here, and none intend to attend."

He went on to accuse Democrats of aligning with organizations and political movements he said were hostile to the United States.

Cruz also argued that the Muslim Brotherhood maintains an operational presence in the United States and discussed organizations previously referenced during federal investigations involving the now-defunct Holy Land Foundation, once the largest Muslim charity in the US.

Democrats boycott Muslim Brotherhood hearing

The five Democratic members of the subcommittee announced before the hearing that they would not participate.

In a joint statement, Senators Sheldon Whitehouse, Richard Blumenthal, Mazie Hirono, Alex Padilla, and Peter Welch described the proceeding as a "political creepshow" and said they would not take part in what they viewed as an effort to scapegoat Muslim Americans.

"Scapegoating Muslims may be a Texas Republican strategist’s idea of ‘solid gold’ to whip up their voters, but Democrats have no intention of indulging this political creepshow, particularly after the recent violence targeting places of faith," they said.

"Our focus is the costs families face thanks to rampant, non-stop Trump corruption."

One of the hearing's witnesses, retired FBI Special Agent Lara Burns, argued that evidence presented in previous federal court proceedings should not be dismissed because it is politically sensitive.

"For decades, narratives have been intentionally seeded into public discourse that portray organizations as resistance movements," Burns added.

"The history of this network is not in question. It was made public decades ago, but few paid attention. Now is the time to pay attention and understand the facts."