The mother of a teacher from Pennsylvania who remains detained in Russia joined Republican U.S. Senate nominee Dave McCormick on Monday to request the Biden-Harris administration designate her son as wrongfully detained.
Malphine Fogel joined McCormick at his family home, where the Republican said they visited about the recent return of American prisoners from Russia following a trade by the Biden-Harris administration.
“We’re so happy they’re home, but also so heartbroken that Marc Fogel wasn’t a part of those Americans that were returned home,” said McCormick in a video posted to the social media platform X. He added, “It’s so important that he be designated as wrongfully detained.”
McCormick explained the designation would give Marc Fogel greater access to healthcare and bring him back to the United States. The Senate candidate also said Marc Fogel’s return should be a “top priority” for the government.
Malphine Fogel (pictured above, left) expressed her appreciation to McCormick for using his platform to discuss her son, explaining, “He’s in a position; he can do some good. We need all the help we can get.”
It was an honor to visit with Mrs. Malphine Fogel here in Pittsburgh today.
Malphine's son Marc Fogel has been wrongfully detained in a Russian prison for three years and sadly wasn't included in the recent prisoner swap.
We need to make it a top priority to get Marc home. pic.twitter.com/qmWSTxj9TM
— Dave McCormick (@DaveMcCormickPA) August 7, 2024
The mother added that Marc Fogel was upset to learn he was not included in the prisoner trade organized by the Biden-Harris administration.
“Marc has just been completely disheartened by the release of the hostages the other day,” said his mother. “I think he thought he would be part of that.”
The 63-year-old educator was first detained in the Russian Federation in 2021 after he was caught with less than an ounce of medical cannabis that Fox News reported was prescribed to him for chronic back pain.
Marc Fogel was reportedly sentenced to 14 years in a Russian penal colony for drug smuggling and possession charges and is now in poor health.
His case stands in stark contrast to that of WNBA player Britney Griner, who was detained in Russia in 2022 after the athlete was caught with a small amount of a processed cannabis product.
Griner was similarly sentenced to nine years in prison and sent to a forced labor camp to complete the sentence, but the Biden-Harris administration ultimately traded notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout to secure Griner’s return.
In a possible reference to this earlier trade, Marc Fogel’s mother called the latest Biden-Harris prisoner swap merely the latest disappointment during her appearance with McCormick.
“We’ve been disappointed over and over, so we’re hoping that something happens that will spur them on, mainly get him to be designated as wrongfully detained,” said Malphine Fogel. “That’s the most important thing we can do.”
When McCormick urged his supporters to pray for Marc Fogel and the teacher’s safe return, his mother humorously quipped, “God’s tired of hearing from me.”
Before McCormick’s appearance with Malphine Fogel, his opponent, Democratic incumbent Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), described the failure to secure her son’s release as “heartbreaking” in an interview with TribLive.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Malphine Fogel and Dave McCormick” by Dave McCormick.Â
