Abdul El-Sayed Accused of Using Tax 'Loophole' Despite Public Stance

Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed faces accusations of taking advantage of a tax loophole despite advocating for the wealthy to pay their fair share.

Accountants told the Washington Free Beacon that El-Sayed's financial disclosure and tax return suggest he uses a compensation structure to lower his tax burden. His AME Higher LLC, an entity for consulting and speaking fees, paid him a $64,000 salary and $103,000 as a member draw. This structure, commonly used to limit Social Security and Medicare tax burdens, allows S-corporation owners to pay payroll taxes only on a reasonable salary, not on remaining profits.

Robert Willens, a tax and accounting adviser, stated the split between compensation and distribution may have been done with an eye towards tax havens. El-Sayed's half-sister, Eman Abdelhadi, a writer and assistant professor at the University of Chicago, also draws renewed scrutiny. She was arrested last fall on a felony charge for allegedly spitting on an Illinois state trooper during a protest outside an ICE facility in Chicago.

Sophie Pollock, a spokesperson for the El-Sayed campaign, stated that Abdul loves his sister but disagrees with her on a number of political positions and the rhetoric she’s chosen to use. El-Sayed's connection to Twitch streamer Hasan Piker is also a drag on him in the general election, according to one report. Representative Haley Stevens, El-Sayed's former Michigan Senate race opponent, said it certainly makes sense for El-Sayed to end his affiliation with Piker.

Former President Barack Obama will likely campaign for El-Sayed, who won the Michigan U.S. Senate primary despite performing poorly among black primary voters. Obama previously noted that enthusiasm for Kamala Harris was weaker among the brothers during the 2024 presidential campaign. El-Sayed supports Medicare for All, a position Obama has also expressed support for if starting a system from scratch.

The RealClearPolitics polling average shows Republican Mike Rogers up by one point against El-Sayed. A Fox poll has Rogers up by four points. El-Sayed recently attacked Rogers for frolicking at the Sanilac County Fair, claiming Rogers ignored servicemen and women on the USS Abraham Lincoln.