Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, R-Pa., told Newsmax Friday that the Biden administration played politics with the life of recently released American schoolteacher Marc Fogel, who was wrongfully detained in Russia for more than 1,200 days.
“We couldn't even get [former] Secretary [of State Antony] Blinken to tell us why Marc Fogel was not put on wrongfully detained status,” Reschenthaler said on “Wake Up America.”
“You have to be put on wrongfully detained status to be eligible for a prisoner swap or negotiations,” he continued. “They wouldn't even tell members of Congress why they weren't putting him on that status. Again, [WNBA star] Brittney Griner, similar circumstances, was put on wrongfully detained status in about 48 hours.”
Fogel, a history teacher from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, had been serving a 14-year prison sentence after being arrested in August 2021 at a Russian airport in possession of what his family and supporters have said was medicinal marijuana.
“And then the Biden administration still didn't put him on that status until Trump had won the election,” Reschenthaler continued. “I think they did it politically to deprive President Trump of that win, of saying that he escalated Fogel to wrongfully detained status. But 22 days [in], Trump got Marc Fogel back. He languished in that gulag for over 1,200 days under [former President] Joe Biden, simply because the Biden administration did not prioritize a history teacher from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.”
Reschenthaler pointed out that the Biden administration released convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, known as the Merchant of Death, in a prisoner exchange for Griner and left retired U.S. Marine Paul Whelan and Fogel behind in Russia.
“But again, this shows that President Trump is taken very seriously around the world, especially by our adversaries,” he said. “They know that when he makes a threat, he'll stand behind it.”
The Pennsylvania congressman, who worked behind the scenes to help bring Fogel home, said he is “ecstatic” over his release, especially for the former hostage’s elderly mother.
“I met with Mrs. Fogel several times,” Reschenthaler said. “She actually talked to President Trump before President Trump was shot at the Butler rally. About 45 minutes after President Trump promised Mrs. Fogel to bring Marc home, he was shot, so I think that made it very personal for President Trump as well. But, it's amazing. She's 95 years old, all she wanted was to see Marc return, and the fact that we were able to do it, and President Trump and his team were able to do it, is absolutely incredible.”
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