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The short version: a Michigan print mailer from the Soros‑backed American Independent network called Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El‑Sayed a “veteran” in a giant headline. The outlet now says it was a misplaced comma. The campaign says he’s never served. Voters got the headline — and the explanation came after the fact.
What the mailer actually said — and the on‑the‑record responses
The Michigan Independent mailed a paper edition with a headline that read, “El‑Sayed — veteran, doctor, and former health official — is Democratic Senate pick.” That headline appeared in the print mailer but not online. The outlet later added an editor’s note admitting a “misplaced comma” in the print edition. Joe Conason, president of the American Independent Foundation, told reporters the line was supposed to read “veteran doctor and public health official,” meaning “veteran” was to modify “doctor.”
Why a comma is not an excuse
Call it sloppy editing or call it something worse, but a giant printed headline mailed to voters is not the same as a minor typo on a personal blog. This was a paper piece designed to look like local news and sent to mailboxes. The El‑Sayed campaign rightly condemned the mailer, saying he “has never claimed to be a veteran” and wouldn’t do so out of respect for those who served. That fact is simple: there is no record that he served in the military, and the editors’ note and campaign statement confirm that.
Context: who’s behind the mailer and why it matters
The Michigan Independent is a state edition tied to the American Independent network, which receives funding from the American Independent Foundation. That foundation took a six‑figure grant from an Open Society entity — a fact critics use to argue these “news‑like” mailers are partisan. This isn’t the first time groups have produced papers or mailers that mimic local news. When organizations with political goals print stories that look like credible local reporting, mistakes or not, they chip away at voter trust and blur the line between journalism and advocacy.
Wrap‑up: demand answers, not commas
A misplaced comma is an awkward defense when a headline mailed to voters says a candidate is a veteran. If it really was just an editing error, readers deserve to know how many households got that mailer, who paid for it, and who approved the print headline. If it wasn’t an accident, voters deserve the truth. Either way, this episode is a reminder to treat “news‑like” mailers with skepticism and to ask tougher questions of organizations that present political messaging as local reporting. Transparency isn’t picky about punctuation — it’s a requirement.
