# Former Hawley Aide Challenges Muslim Senate Candidate, Father's Firm Received Anti-El-Sayed Funds

> A confrontation at a Michigan town hall involving a former Republican aide and a Democratic Senate candidate over religious loyalty has become a central issue in the state's election, following revelations about the aide's family ties to anti-candidate funding.

By PrimaryBrief newsroom · Published 2026-10-21T20:14:54.506701Z
Canonical: https://primarybrief.com/article/former-hawley-aide-challenges-muslim-senate-candidate-father-s-firm-received-anti-el-sayed-funds-95d33dc9

On Saturday, October 17, 2026, Thomas Teepell, a former aide to Republican Senator Josh Hawley, publicly questioned Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed at a town hall in Caro, Michigan [1]. Teepell demanded El-Sayed “disavow the Muslim Brotherhood” [1]. Federal Election Commission records show that weeks prior, Teepell's father's firm received $250,000 for work opposing El-Sayed [9].

This incident places religious identity at the center of the Michigan Senate race, raising concerns about “dual loyalty” accusations and echoing historical religious bias against candidates [1][2][4]. It also highlights how public confrontations can become major campaign flashpoints, drawing scrutiny to political financing and coordination [9].

## What the records show

LegiStorm records confirm Thomas Teepell's employment history, showing he worked for Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) from May 2023 to February 2026 [5]. He served as an intern, Staff Assistant, Executive Assistant, and Operations Director [5]. After leaving Hawley's office, Teepell became Political Director for Philip Sarnecki's Kansas gubernatorial campaign, which concluded when Sarnecki lost the Republican primary on August 4, 2026 [1][5]. Thomas Teepell is the son of Republican strategist Timmy Teepell, who has advised Senator Hawley and former Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal [1][9]. Federal Election Commission records show Timmy Teepell's firm, Breakthrough LLC, received $250,000 from conservative nonprofit America Next on September 29, 2026 [9]. This payment was for “canvassing and influencer marketing opposing El-Sayed” [9]. Abdul El-Sayed, a 41-year-old epidemiologist and academic, is the Democratic nominee for the 2026 U.S. Senate election in Michigan, having won his primary on August 4, 2026 [12][13].

## The timeline

Thomas Teepell began working for Senator Josh Hawley in May 2023, advancing to Operations Director by February 2025 [5]. He then worked on the Sarnecki gubernatorial campaign until August 2026 [1][5]. Abdul El-Sayed launched his U.S. Senate campaign in April 2025 and secured the Democratic nomination on August 4, 2026 [12]. Timmy Teepell's firm received the $250,000 payment from America Next on September 29, 2026 [9]. The confrontation between Thomas Teepell and El-Sayed occurred on October 17, 2026, in Caro, Michigan, and a video of the exchange quickly went viral [1][3][16].

## What changed and for whom

The confrontation quickly became a significant focus in the Michigan Senate race [1]. El-Sayed's Republican opponent, Mike Rogers, subsequently claimed El-Sayed had not sufficiently disavowed the Muslim Brotherhood [4]. CBS News chief legal correspondent Jan Crawford initially praised Teepell's questioning on social media, describing El-Sayed's response as a “spectacular self-own” [15]. Crawford later apologized after facing accusations of endorsing a “partisan and anti-Muslim line of attack” [14][15]. The incident highlighted what El-Sayed described as “bigoted questions” and “dual loyalty” accusations tied to his Muslim faith [1].

## What the subject has said publicly

At the town hall, Thomas Teepell, introducing himself as “Tommy,” asked El-Sayed, “Will you disavow the Muslim Brotherhood?” [1][14]. Teepell stated he asked because he considered the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization and had not heard El-Sayed condemn it [2]. When El-Sayed asked Teepell if he would disavow any attempt to introduce religious doctrine into U.S. law, Teepell refused [1][3].

El-Sayed responded to Teepell's initial question with, “Sure. Yeah, absolutely,” then challenged the premise, asking, “What are you implying? Do you assume that I wouldn't?” [1][3][14]. El-Sayed argued the question implied “dual loyalties” due to his Muslim faith, drawing a comparison to the religious scrutiny faced by former President John F. Kennedy [1][2]. El-Sayed stated his allegiance was to the U.S. Constitution and, echoing Kennedy, emphasized he was “not running to be a Muslim senator” but “running for U.S. Senate and happen to be Muslim” [2][4]. Following Teepell's refusal to disavow religious doctrine in law, El-Sayed told Teepell he needed to understand the Constitution [1][3].

## What we could not confirm

PrimaryBrief could not confirm if Thomas Teepell received personal payment for confronting Abdul El-Sayed at the town hall [9].

## Evidence cited
1. Man who heckled Abdul El-Sayed is former Josh Hawley aide, records show (www.theguardian.com) — https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/19/abdul-el-sayed-heckler-tommy
2. (no title) (gvwire.com) — https://gvwire.com/
3. (no title) (motherjones.com) — https://motherjones.com/
4. (no title) (politifact.com) — https://politifact.com/
5. LegiStorm - Thomas Francis Teepell - Staffer Profile (legistorm.com) — https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQHmHlbWOMoKpiP5GkWI5-dwaPGzkwa9QmejdXuxzktKj0ukXPq0OFhiRHMCXWj6biuI830gKeA-FwwOxuNVSM7gaJMS0FUCJvt7CTkbquXW2OJid2CgGHO8SA-w3cs_yoFXvF97zCzSRBmOTJkTFXw-lA18t9gSdy64wjoBaGk7ksxL
6. (no title) (democraticunderground.com) — https://democraticunderground.com/
7. (no title) (thehandbasket.co) — https://thehandbasket.co/
8. (no title) (reddit.com) — https://reddit.com/
9. (no title) (thenews.com.pk) — https://thenews.com.pk/
10. (no title) (primetimer.com) — https://primetimer.com/
11. (no title) (abdulforsenate.com) — https://abdulforsenate.com/
12. (no title) (fox9.com) — https://fox9.com/
13. (no title) (wikipedia.org) — https://wikipedia.org/
14. (no title) (democracynow.org) — https://democracynow.org/
15. (no title) (arabnews.com) — https://arabnews.com/
16. (no title) (newsweek.com) — https://newsweek.com/
17. (no title) (youtube.com) — https://youtube.com/