Mark Siljander

Mark Deli Siljander
Born:	June 11, 1951 Chicago, Illinois
Charges:	Obstruction of justice, Acting as an unregistered foreign agent
Sentence:	One year and one day in federal prison
Facility:
Status:	Served sentence; pardoned December 2020

Mark Deli Siljander (born June 11, 1951) is a former United States Representative for Michigan's 4th congressional district. He held the seat from 1981 to 1987. In 2010 he pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice and to acting as an unregistered foreign agent. The charges grew out of lobbying work he did for the Islamic American Relief Agency, a Missouri-based charity. IARA paid him about $75,000 to push for its removal from a U.S. Senate Finance Committee list of organizations suspected of funding terrorism. He told investigators the money was a charitable donation to help him write a book. That was false. A federal judge in Kansas City sentenced him on January 11, 2012, to one year and one day in prison. He served the sentence. In December 2020, President Donald Trump pardoned him. The pardon drew criticism from former Republican Congressman Fred Upton, who had defeated Siljander in the 1986 primary.

Political Career

Siljander was born June 11, 1951, in Chicago. His family moved to Michigan when he was young. He earned degrees from Western Michigan University.

He entered Congress in 1981. An appointment filled a vacancy in Michigan's 4th congressional district. He then won the seat in his own right and served three terms. His record placed him among the most conservative members of the House. He was a vocal opponent of abortion and an advocate for pro-life causes.

The 1986 Republican primary ended his time in office. Fred Upton, a more moderate Republican, challenged him and won. Upton went on to hold the same district seat for more than three decades.

After leaving Congress, Siljander moved to Virginia. He worked as a consultant and lobbyist. He also wrote about interfaith dialogue between Christians and Muslims. His later legal trouble came out of this lobbying work.

The Case

The Islamic American Relief Agency was a Missouri-based charity. Federal authorities scrutinized the organization for suspected ties to terrorism financing. According to a 2008 indictment, IARA transferred roughly $130,000 to Gulbuddin Hekmatyar. Hekmatyar is an Afghan figure whom the U.S. government designated a global terrorist with links to al-Qaeda and the Taliban. The charity was placed on a U.S. Senate Finance Committee list of organizations suspected of funding terrorism.

On January 16, 2008, federal prosecutors in Missouri indicted Siljander. The original indictment carried multiple counts, including money laundering, conspiracy, and obstruction of justice. Prosecutors said IARA paid him about $75,000 to lobby for the charity's removal from the Senate list. The lobbying ran from March to May 2004.

Siljander did not report the work as required under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. He also denied to investigators that he had been hired to advocate for the charity. He claimed the payments were charitable donations to support a book he was writing on bridging Islam and Christianity. Prosecutors said that account was false and that he knew it.

He first pleaded not guilty. The case did not go to trial. In 2010 he reached a plea agreement with the government.

Plea and Sentencing

On July 7, 2010, Siljander pleaded guilty to two counts. The first was obstruction of justice. The second was acting as an unregistered foreign agent in violation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act. The money laundering and conspiracy counts were dropped as part of the agreement.

In his plea, Siljander admitted he was paid about $75,000 to lobby for IARA between March and May 2004. He admitted he obstructed justice by denying he was hired for that work and by falsely describing the payments as charitable donations for his book.

U.S. District Judge Nanette Kay Laughrey sentenced him on January 11, 2012, in Kansas City. The term was one year and one day in federal prison, without parole. The sentence also included supervised release.

At sentencing, the judge drew a line around the conduct. She said the case "is not a case about somebody aiding a terrorist, it just isn't, and it would be wrong of me to, in fact, try to make it out to be that." She added that there was "no specific harm by the lobbying efforts" he undertook.

Prosecutors framed the conduct differently. U.S. Attorney Beth Phillips said Siljander "engaged in illegal lobbying for a charity suspected of funding international terrorism" and "repeatedly lied to FBI agents and prosecutors investigating serious crimes related to national security."

Two IARA officials were sentenced in the same matter for transferring funds out of the country.

Siljander served his sentence. In December 2020, President Donald Trump pardoned him. The White House pointed to his pro-life record in Congress and his charitable work after prison. Several public figures backed the pardon, including former Attorney General Edwin Meese, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, former Governor Mike Huckabee, Representative Robert Aderholt, and pastor Andrew Brunson.

Fred Upton objected. He beat Siljander in 1986 and held the district seat for decades. Upton said he was "beyond disappointed the President used his pardon authority on Mark Siljander, who accepted a plea bargain and lesser charges and still served a year in federal prison after having been indicted with a series of federal crimes including obstruction of justice, money laundering, and lobbying for an international terrorist group with ties to Osama bin Laden, Al Qaeda, and the Taliban."

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What did Mark Siljander do?

Siljander pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice and to acting as an unregistered foreign agent. The Islamic American Relief Agency paid him about $75,000 to lobby for its removal from a U.S. Senate list of charities suspected of funding terrorism. He did not register as a foreign agent. He then told investigators the money was a charitable donation for a book, which was false.

Q: How long was Mark Siljander's prison sentence?

U.S. District Judge Nanette Kay Laughrey sentenced him on January 11, 2012, to one year and one day in federal prison, without parole. He served the sentence.

Q: What was the Islamic American Relief Agency?

IARA was a Missouri-based charity. Federal authorities scrutinized it for suspected terrorism financing. A 2008 indictment said it transferred roughly $130,000 to Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, an Afghan figure designated a global terrorist with ties to al-Qaeda and the Taliban. The charity was placed on a Senate Finance Committee watch list.

Q: Was Mark Siljander pardoned?

Yes. President Donald Trump pardoned him in December 2020, after he had served his sentence. The White House cited his pro-life congressional record and his charitable work. Supporters included Edwin Meese, Newt Gingrich, Mike Huckabee, Robert Aderholt, and Andrew Brunson.

Q: What was Mark Siljander's congressional career?

He represented Michigan's 4th congressional district from 1981 to 1987. He entered through an appointment to fill a vacancy, then won the seat in his own right. He was known as a strongly conservative, pro-life member. Fred Upton defeated him in the 1986 Republican primary.

Q: Who criticized Mark Siljander's pardon?

Fred Upton, who beat Siljander in 1986 and succeeded him in Congress, criticized the pardon. Upton said he was "beyond disappointed" and noted Siljander had been indicted on charges including obstruction of justice, money laundering, and lobbying for a group with ties to Osama bin Laden, al-Qaeda, and the Taliban.

See also

• Presidential Clemency and Pardons
• Foreign Agents Registration Act
• Obstruction of Justice