The Al-Qaeda Wing of the GOP: Ex-Rep Charged in Terror Plot

Posted by Steve Benen, The Carpetbagger Report at 6:32 AM on January 17, 2008.

Oh dear.

A former congressman and delegate to the United Nations was indicted Wednesday as part of a terrorist fundraising ring that allegedly sent more than $130,000 to an al-Qaida and Taliban supporter who has threatened U.S. and international troops in Afghanistan.

The former Republican congressman from Michigan, Mark Deli Siljander, was charged with money laundering, conspiracy and obstructing justice for allegedly lying about lobbying senators on behalf of an Islamic charity that authorities said was secretly sending funds to terrorists.

A 42-count indictment, unsealed in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., accuses the Islamic American Relief Agency of paying Siljander $50,000 for the lobbying -- money that turned out to be stolen from the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Siljander, who served two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, was appointed by President Reagan to serve as a U.S. delegate to the United Nations for one year in 1987.

When the AP first noted that a "former congressman" was "indicted as part of a terrorist fundraising ring," Michelle Malkin wrote, "Any bets on which political party and which state the former congressman belongs to?"

Of course, as it turns out, Siljander was a Republican. (Malkin responded, "Oops.") [My mistake; the "oops" was in reference to a different point. My apologies.]

Imagine, just for a moment, if he were a Dem and Clinton had appointed him to serve as a U.S. delegate to the United Nations. I suspect the response from the right would be quite boisterous.

Tagged as: terrorism, malkin, republican party, siljander

Steve Benen is a freelance writer/researcher and creator of The Carpetbagger Report. In addition, he is the lead editor of Salon.com's Blog Report, and has been a contributor to Talking Points Memo, Washington Monthly, Crooks & Liars, The American Prospect, and the Guardian.