A former congressman accused of laundering stolen U.S. government money from an Islamic charity pleaded not guilty Monday in federal court.
Mark D. Siljander said little during his brief hearing before a U.S. magistrate judge and afterward deferred comment to his lawyer, who said his client “vehemently denies the allegations in the indictment.”
Defense lawyer J.R. Hobbs said his client’s work to bridge the gap between Christians and Muslims has been mischaracterized.
“Mr. Siljander has dedicated the last 12 years to research, travel and relationship building in an attempt to empower peaceful Muslims and defuse the radical sects of the faith,” Hobbs said.
A grand jury indicted Siljander earlier this month, accusing him of accepting almost $50,000 in lobbying fees from the Islamic American Relief Agency of Columbia. That money, according to prosecutors, was taken from a U.S. government grant for international relief.
Siljander has said he received that money as support for a book on Muslim-Christian relations, which is scheduled for publication in June.
Siljander, a Republican, represented Michigan in Congress from 1981 to 1987. Now, he operates a public relations and consulting firm.
In a portion of the indictment unrelated to Siljander, prosecutors accused the charity and some of its officers of sending money to benefit an Afghan warlord, whom U.S. authorities have designated a terrorist.
At the hearing Monday, Hobbs said he would consider asking that Siljander’s case be separated from those of the charity and its officers so he could go to trial sooner. The trial for all defendants currently is scheduled for November.
http://www.kansascity.com/115/story/465056.html
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