Michigan U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed has made healthcare a central theme of his campaign, advocating for Medicare for All and criticizing opponents from both parties on the issue.
El-Sayed, a Democrat and former public health official, has alleged that former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, the sole Republican contender in the Aug. 4 primary, is under the influence of the pharmaceutical industry. El-Sayed has stated in various interviews and social media posts that Rogers "took a $14 million payout as a pharma lobbyist."
However, federal and Michigan records do not indicate that Rogers has ever been a registered lobbyist for any company, including pharmaceutical ones. Investigations found no evidence of him working in the pharmaceutical sector after leaving Congress.
Rogers did engage in paid consulting for technology firms after his congressional tenure. While his net worth may have grown by over $14 million since then, no single payment or aggregation of payments supports the $14 million figure attributed to lobbying.
The Rogers campaign sent El-Sayed a cease and desist letter on June 22, demanding an end to the claims that Rogers is a "pharma lobbyist" and that he received a $14 million payout from the pharmaceutical industry, asserting that these statements constitute defamation under Michigan law. A spokesperson for the Rogers campaign stated that they had "put Abdul on notice for lying to Michigan voters about Mike’s background."
In response to the letter, El-Sayed partially retracted his statement in a social media video, humorously acknowledging that Rogers is not a pharmaceutical lobbyist. He stated, "My mistake, he just spent so much time in Congress helping the pharmaceutical industry that I thought he was a pharma lobbyist… When I say Mike Rogers, do not think of a pharma lobbyist. When I say pharma lobbyist, do not think of a Mike Rogers."
When asked if he still maintained his assertion that Rogers was a pharmaceutical lobbyist, El-Sayed’s campaign referred to their June 22 response to the cease and desist letter, which stated that Rogers had prioritized "Big Pharma over the people he served." The statement did not explicitly reaffirm that Rogers is a pharmaceutical lobbyist.
Rogers’ Post-Congress Career
Rogers represented Michigan in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2001 to 2015. Following his time in Congress, he worked as a consultant and served on the boards of telecommunications and cybersecurity companies, including AT&T, Nokia, and Telefónica. He also held positions on nonprofit boards focused on national security and was a host and commentator for CNN.
Rogers’ financial disclosures for his 2024 Senate campaign and the current campaign do not list any work for pharmaceutical companies. Experts note that consulting differs from lobbying; consultants provide advice on navigating issues, while lobbyists actively advocate for specific legislation and regulations. Lobbyists are typically required to register and meet certain criteria, such as spending a significant portion of their time on lobbying activities and making direct contact with officials to influence policy.
The cease and desist letter from Rogers’ campaign indicated he did not meet the legal definitions of a lobbyist under federal or Michigan law.
A financial disclosure revealed that Rogers received a $30,000 payment from the lobbying firm CGCN Group prior to his 2024 Senate run. This firm represented numerous clients, including drug and medical technology companies. Rogers’ campaign stated he worked on the strategic communications side of CGCN Group, focusing on telecommunications issues, rather than lobbying. Experts suggest that while individuals within lobbying firms may not be registered lobbyists, they can still engage in activities aimed at influencing government decisions.
More recent statements from El-Sayed have focused on campaign contributions Rogers received from pharmaceutical political action committees during his time in office. While these donations are distinct from personal payments or lobbying activities, pharmaceutical industry PACs contributed tens of thousands of dollars to Rogers’ campaigns between 2004 and 2014, making the pharmaceutical industry a top donor in PAC contributions during certain cycles. His current Senate campaign has received $2,000 from pharmaceutical company PACs.
Characterization of $14 Million Payout is Misleading
While Rogers’ wealth has increased substantially since leaving office in 2015, El-Sayed’s narrative misrepresents the financial situation. Financial disclosures indicate that Rogers’ non-property assets upon leaving office were between $415,600 and $605,600. Estimates of his net worth at that time, factoring in property and liabilities, placed it between $800,000 and $1.7 million. His 2025 financial disclosure reported assets valued between $6.7 million and $13.5 million, with no debt. Combined with property assessments, his net worth is estimated between $10.1 million and $16.9 million.
While not all payments over the past decade are detailed, recent disclosures cover income from 2022 to 2025, with over $1 million reported in 2023 for corporate advising and consulting. This growth in net worth is also attributed to investment and property value appreciation.
When considering investments and property, a net worth increase of over $14 million since leaving office is plausible, with mid-point estimates showing a growth of around $12.3 million. However, this does not substantiate a specific "payout" for pharmaceutical lobbying.
Conclusion
El-Sayed’s assertion that Rogers "took a $14 million payout as a pharma lobbyist" inaccurately labels Rogers’ post-congressional consulting work as lobbying and misinterprets his net worth growth, connecting it to the pharmaceutical industry without evidence. Records show Rogers has not worked as a lobbyist, nor has he been involved with pharmaceutical companies since leaving Congress. While his wealth has increased significantly, it is not linked to payments from pharmaceutical companies. El-Sayed has not provided any evidence to support his claim. This statement is rated as Pants on Fire.