Talk:Mark D. Siljander

Possible conflict-of-interest editing

Since March 2020, this article has been completely rewritten by User:Trac5btcg, who has made no edits outside of this topic. The new version reads like a press release, violating NPOV, with plenty of puffery and tortured phrasing. I have strong concerns that these edits were made by a party with a conflict of interest. Unless there are any objections, I'll roll the article back to this version, prior to any of those changes. gobonobo ^{+ c} 04:36, 24 December 2020 (UTC)

I have made the necessary disclosures as per my association and conducted a review of the NPOV language

Please conduct a review of the specific language in question. I have cited many independent sources to support the biography. I am happy to accept changes to the current version in furtherance of the neutral language requirements. — Preceding unsigned comment added by GWaldron88 (talk • contribs) 18:14, 24 December 2020 (UTC)

Introduction needs rewrite

The introduction is overly wordy and biased towards his career highlights. Surely being convicted of federal crimes warrants a mention, especially now that he's received a presidential pardon. Compare for example Duncan Hunter. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 92.40.186.222 (talk) 15:29, 24 December 2020 (UTC) --GWaldron88 (talk) 01:11, 17 April 2021 (UTC)

Part 3 COI review

Edit #1 I am requesting a community review to reinstate/replace the following section:

Criminal Conviction and Pardon:

On January 16, 2008, Siljander was indicted in the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri on five counts including money laundering, conspiracy and obstruction of justice. On January 28, 2008, Siljander pleaded not guilty in Federal court before a U.S. Magistrate Judge.

On July 7, 2010 Siljander pleaded guilty to acting as an unregistered foreign agent and obstruction of justice related to statements that he made to investigators about lobbying. Siljander's account at the International Foundation received a $50,000 donation from the Islamic American Relief Agency ("IARA") while the U.S. charity was being investigated by the Senate Finance Committee for suspected support of terrorism. IARA was suspected of having engaged in prohibited transactions with Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, an Afghan rebel leader who was designated as a terrorist in 2003. Unrelated to Siljander, IARA was directing funds to a foreign affiliate NGO, the Islamic Relief Agency ("ISRA") which was funding an orphanage in the Shamshatu Refugee Camp in Pakistan that is located on land belonging to Hekmatyar. No defendant's in the case were ever convicted of, or sentenced for, any charges related to terrorism.

The Justice Department's press release stated that "It is important to note that the indictment does not charge any of the defendants with material support of terrorism, nor does it allege that they knowingly financed acts of terror."

Siljander told investigators that this money was used to support publication of his then upcoming book on the subject of Muslim-Christian relations. Siljander told investigators that he, instead of lobbying, referred Robert P. Hanrahan, a registered lobbyist who legally represented IARA. Prosecutors based their charges on Siljander using these funds as a quid pro quo to lobby for the U.S. based charity.

On January 12, 2012, Siljander was sentenced to a year and a day in prison. Judge Nanette Laughrey is quoted during sentencing saying, "But the truth is, when you look at this objectively, this is not a case about [Siljander] aiding a terrorist, it just isn't...

He turned himself in on March 10, 2012 to Federal Correctional Institution, Petersburg. Siljander was released from prison on December 20, 2012 after receiving treatment for cancer at Federal Medical Center, Butner.

On December 23, 2020, President Trump granted Mark Siljander a full pardon in a press release that cited his devotion to "traveling in the Middle East and Africa to promote peace and mutual understanding."

Edit #2 COI request to reinstate the following section:

The Siljander Amendment:

In 2019, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that the Trump Administration would be fully enforcing the Siljander Amendment. In August of 2020, 60 pro-life Members of the House and Senate led by Senator James Lankford signed a letter encouraging USAID to enforce the Siljander Amendment. In 1981, Representative Mark Siljander introduced an amendment to the FY1982 Foreign Assistance and Related Programs Appropriations Act specifying that no U.S. funds may be used to lobby for abortion. Since the Siljander amendment was first introduced, Congress has modified the amendment to state that no funds may be used to “lobby for or against abortion” The Siljander amendment has been included in annual foreign operations appropriations acts. It applies to all programs and activities appropriated under such acts. Most recently, the FY2019 State-Foreign Operations Appropriations Act states that “none of the funds made available under this Act may be used to lobby for or against abortion.”

Edit # 3 COI request to reinstate the following language to the introduction:

His book was endorsed by a diverse group of political and religious leaders including the then sitting UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, U.S. Secretary of State James Baker, U.S. Attorney General Edwin Meese, Democrat and Republican Members of Congress including Congressman and Nobel Peace Prize nominee Tony Hall (D-OH), and an Iranian Ayatollah, Dr. Ahmad Iravani. Former Secretary of State James Baker endorsed Siljander's book saying that it was "a blueprint for breaking this logjam of dissension that contributes to so much [religious] conflict today."

--GWaldron88 (talk) 01:29, 17 April 2021 (UTC)

References

•  Not done Much of this is either (1) promotional; (2) redundant to other material already in the article; or (3) excessive or less useful primary sourcing. Neutrality^talk 03:35, 17 April 2021 (UTC)