Former Staffer Faces Charges in Threat Case
A former staff member for Abdul El-Sayed, a Democratic Senate candidate in Michigan, is now dealing with federal charges linked to threats and property damage against employees of the University of Michigan.
Maryam Muhamed Odeh, along with seven others, faces accusations of conspiring to blackmail university employees, law enforcement officers, and businesses, including the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit. This comes after an indictment from the Department of Justice, which highlighted incidents of vandalism directed at University employees and their residences from October 2023 to April 2025. The goal, it seems, was to pressure the university into cutting ties with Israel, as reported by The Detroit News.
The indictment noted a range of criminal activities, including threats made with spray paint, smashed windows, and even the throwing of glass bottles filled with toxic substances into the homes of victims. Disturbingly, victims were identified with symbols associated with Hamas, such as red upside-down triangles and red handprints.
In an official comment, the University of Michigan directed inquiries to the Department of Justice, which in turn referred the indictment to the news outlet.
Odeh attended the University of Michigan from 2020 until 2025 and worked on El-Sayed’s campaign briefly in early 2025.
“During the night, the group, while masked and hooded, allegedly threw harmful chemicals through windows and left collection notices taped to doors. They took great care to obscure their tracks and erase evidence of their actions,” noted Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office.
Moreover, threats were reported to have been spray-painted on the Jewish Federation Building on October 7, 2023, a date chosen to mark the anniversary of a Hamas attack in Israel.
El-Sayed did not offer an immediate response to the request for commentary.
Additionally, investigators revealed discussions involving the use of poisons, explosives, and psychological torture targeting victims and their families, indicating plans to “kill, torment, and terrorize” them in 2024.
“These threats against government officials, businesses, and Jewish federations are fundamentally anti-American, and we will pursue justice regarding them,” stated U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon from Detroit.
Criticism has come from Greg Muntz, a senior communications adviser for the Michigan Republican Party, who pointed out El-Sayed’s controversial past in relation to anti-Semitism and his campaign ties.
Contrarily, El-Sayed appears to maintain support from some local pastors, grassroots organizations, and even independent Senator Bernie Sanders.
Recent polling indicates that El-Sayed holds a lead in the Democratic primary race against challengers Representative Haley Stevens and State Senator Mallory McMorrow for the Michigan State Senate nomination.
