DETROIT (Michigan News Source) – A former staffer for Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed is among eight people facing federal charges for alleged threats and vandalism against the University of Michigan and other pro-Israel organizations.

“Spray-painting threats, breaking windows.”

Campaign disclosures show 24-year-old Mariam Odeh received two payments in March from El-Sayed’s campaign as “salary disbursements.”

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The indictment against Odeh and the seven others reads: “Their criminal activity included spray-painting threats, breaking windows and throwing glass jars filled with noxious chemicals into family homes. They marked their victims with threatening symbols used by Hamas, including red inverted triangles and red handprints. They used the internet and social media to broadcast their message to ensure their threats and commitment to continuing criminal activity were heard by their victims and others who support Israel.”

The Times of Israel reported that investigators allege the defendants “discussed using poison, bombs and ‘psychological torture’ against the targets and their families. In one message, in May 2024, two of the defendants agreed to ‘kill,’ ‘torment,’ and ‘terrorize’ their opponents and their families.”

U of M and El-Sayed ties.

Pretrial services officer Brian Harmon reportedly told the judge on Wednesday that Odeh attended the University of Michigan from 2020 to 2025 and held “full-time employment for approximately four months” through April 2026 “for a local Senate candidate.” In addition, Harmon said Odeh resides in Dearborn with her family and teaches Arabic.

El-Sayed’s campaign said Odeh was hired in February as an hourly employee and left the campaign on April 15. According to El-Sayed campaign spokesperson Roxie Richner, the campaign issued one missed hourly back payment in May that will appear on the next FEC filing.

“Radical and antisemitic influences.”

In response to the indictment,  Michigan GOP Senior Communications Advisor Greg Manz said this marks another example of El-Sayed’s “willingness to pander to radical extremists.”

Manz said El-Sayed, “struggled to condemn the attack on Jewish children at a Pennsylvania synagogue, publicly mourned the death of Iran’s Ayatollah, campaigned alongside known antisemite Hasan Piker, and now a member of his own campaign staff has been indicted for allegedly participating in a conspiracy to threaten University of Michigan leaders over their ties to Israel.” He added, “Michiganders deserve to know why the same radical and antisemitic influences seem to follow Abdul El-Sayed wherever he goes.”

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The news of the former staffer’s indictment comes amid several noteworthy endorsements of El-Sayed’s campaign. Seventeen pastors threw their support behind El-Sayed in May, and Jews for Abdul came out in support of the progressive Democrat later that same month.

“A deliberate campaign of intimidation and terror.”

The Jewish Federation of Detroit, which was also alleged to be vandalized by the group, issued a statement applauding law enforcement for taking action.

“The indictment details a deliberate campaign of intimidation and terror: attacks on private homes, threats to ‘get’ the ‘kids’ of victims, witness intimidation, and the targeting of Jewish institutions, including our own,” the federation said.

Odeh could face up to five years in prison for charges of “conspiracy to transmit threats in interstate or foreign commerce.”