Man Who Questioned El-Sayed Is Son of Strategist Paid $250,000

Thomas “Tommy” Teepell, the man who questioned Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed about the Muslim Brotherhood at a town hall, is the son of Republican strategist Timothy Teepell, whose firm received $250,000 to oppose El-Sayed, according to reporting and federal records. The Federal Election Commission filing shows that America Next paid Breakthrough LLC on September 29 for canvassing and influencer marketing in opposition to El-Sayed. Timothy Teepell runs the firm. The records establish the payment and its stated purpose, but do not show that his son was paid or that the money funded the town hall confrontation. During the exchange, Thomas Teepell asked whether El-Sayed would disavow the Muslim Brotherhood. El-Sayed said he would, then challenged the implication behind the question. Their discussion continued for several minutes and was recorded in a video that circulated widely online. One report placed the event in Caro, Michigan; another described it as a town hall without specifying the location. The Guardian reported that Thomas Teepell is Timothy Teepell’s son and that the elder Teepell’s firm received the payment. Thomas previously worked in Republican Sen. Josh...