Bought Blessing: How Abdul El-Sayed Quietly Paid $75,000 for a Detroit Pastor’s Endorsement

Abdul El-Sayed has been lauding an endorsement from Pastor and Radio host Horace Sheffield III. No one could blame him for that. It's a great endorsement to receive for a candidate running for Senate in Michigan.

Abdul El-Sayed has been highlighting an endorsement from pastor/radio host Horace Sheffield III.

Related: El-Sayed's campaign has paid $75,000 to Sheffield's non-profit for "political consulting" https://t.co/jgeF5tTKv5

— AG (@AGHamilton29) July 31, 2026

Oh. 

That is interesting. 

El-Sayed's campaign paid this pastor $22,500 prior to this endorsement, and has paid him another $52,500 since then -- all undisclosed by either party. https://t.co/PMgYzVY9uV https://t.co/2P9IDq6hpU

— Chuck Ross (@ChuckRossDC) July 31, 2026

Must be nice. 

I’m pleased to announce that my endorsement is available for a lot less than $75,000. Inquire within. https://t.co/V036sMKbNc

— KTB (@KTBurleson) July 31, 2026

Influential Detroit pastor and radio host Horace Sheffield III enthusiastically endorsed Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed during a radio interview last week, urging listeners to make "5 and 10 phone calls" to help propel the left-wing Democrat to victory. Unmentioned in the glowing interview was that El-Sayed's campaign has paid tens of thousands of dollars to Sheffield's nonprofit organization.

El-Sayed's campaign has paid $75,000 to Ecumenical Ministers Alliance, a nonprofit that Sheffield incorporated in 2010, for "political consulting," according to campaign finance disclosures. The campaign has made 10 payments of $7,500 to the nonprofit from Oct. 21 to June 1, records show.

Sheffield was suspended from his previous radio station in 2018 after he endorsed the failed gubernatorial candidate Rep. Shri Thanedar (D., Mich.), who'd paid his nonprofit tens of thousands of dollars, also for "consulting."

Last week's radio interview is at least the third time Sheffield, the pastor of New Destiny Christian Fellowship, has boosted El-Sayed on his radio show or in social media posts, all without disclosing the financial relationship. The pastor's endorsements are especially helpful to El-Sayed, who badly trails his primary opponent, Rep. Haley Stevens, in support from black voters.

So, El-Sayed is running far behind Stevens with Black voters so he needed this endorsement and apparently was willing to pay for it. He was actually willing to pay quite a lot for it. 

The most amazing part is that Sheffield has a record of this. He was suspended from his radio show in 2018 after it was revealed his non-profit similarly received tens of thousands from Rep. Shri Thanedar for "consulting" prior to endorsing him. pic.twitter.com/97tWBgql6Q

— AG (@AGHamilton29) July 31, 2026

So, there is a history of this. Apparently, the suspension from his show didn't faze him too much.

Taqqiya

— kokomored (@kokomored1) July 31, 2026

Well, yes.

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