Mark D Siljander

Early life, education, and early career

Siljander was born in Chicago, Illinois, where he attended the public schools, having graduated in 1969 from Oak Park and River Forest High School. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan, in 1972 and a Master of Arts from Western Michigan in 1973. He served as a trustee on Fabius Township Board in St. Joseph County, Michigan, from 1972 to 1976 and also worked as a real estate broker.

U.S. House of Representatives

Siljander served as a U.S. Representative from the Michigan's 4th congressional district from April 21, 1981 - January 3, 1987. He served on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

At the time of Siljander's election, Michigan's 4th congressional district was in southwestern Michigan and included Three Rivers and Kalamazoo. Time magazine noted that the district was predominantly conservative, having elected only one Democrat in [the twentieth] century, in 1932.

Siljander was known as a dogmatic social conservative. He criticized President Ronald Reagan's Supreme Court appointment of Sandra Day O'Connor. Time characterized him as a Fundamentalist Christian and reported on Siljander's election:

"I'm part of the silent majority that was heard Nov. 4 [when President Reagan was elected]," says Siljander. "My support comes from morally concerned citizens who are sick of the situation in this country." Siljander pledges to battle the Equal Rights Amendment, pornography, abortion, school busing and "big spending." He will champion the neutron bomb, the MX missile and prayer in public schools.

1981

On January 27, 1981, incumbent Republican Party U.S. Congressman David A. Stockman from Michigan's 4th District resigned to become President Reagan's Director of the Office of Management and Budget. In the following special Republican primary, Siljander ranked first in a seven candidate field with a plurality of 37%. He defeated Stockman-endorsed tax attorney John Globensky (36%) and State Senator John Mowat (22%). In the April 1981 special general election, he defeated Democratic Cass County Commissioner Johnie Rodebush 69%-29%.

1982

Siljander was challenged in the next Republican primary by attorney Harold Schuitmaker and defeated him 56%-44%. In the general election, he won re-election to a full term with 60% of the vote.

1984

Siljander was challenged again in the Republican primary, and defeated Tim Horan 58%-42%. In the general election, he won re-election to a second full term with 67% of the vote.

In 1984, Siljander sponsored a single-sentence amendment which read, "For the purposes of this Act, the term 'person' shall include unborn children from the moment of conception." Alexander Cockburn referred to the Siljander Amendment as "the most far-reaching of all the measures dreamed up by the conservative right to undercut Roe v. Wade." It failed 186-219.

In 1985, Siljander proposed legislation which would deny Most Favored Nation status to countries that discriminate on cultural, ethnic or religious grounds.

1986

Once again Siljander was challenged in the Republican primary, this time by Fred Upton, a staffer to Stockman. Upton defeated Siljander 55%-45%.

Legislation

· H.Con.Res.262 - 97th Congress, Sponsor [introduced]: "A concurrent resolution regarding the use of chemical weapons by the Soviet Union in Afghanistan, Laos, and Cambodia." Expresses the sense of the Congress that the President should demand compliance by the Soviet Union with existing treaties on chemical warfare as a prerequisite for starting the Geneva arms talks.

· H.R.6325 - 97th Congress, Sponsor [introduced]: "Housing and Automobile Industries Recovery Act of 1982".

Housing and Automobile Industries Recovery Act of 1982 - Title I: Exemption for the Purchase of Certain Bonds by Employee Pension Benefit Plans - Provides a temporary exemption from certain provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 and the Internal Revenue Code relating to prohibited transactions for the purchase of certain bonds sold to fund residential mortgages and domestic motor vehicle loans. Title II: Interest Reduction Payments - Provides for interest reduction payments by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to assist with the financing of the purchase of certain residences and domestic motor vehicles. Sets forth: (1) requirements and restrictions for eligible loans and mortgages; and (2) guidelines for the allocation of such payments. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1982 through 1988 to carry out this title. Prohibits the Secretary from making any commitments to make interest reduction payments under this title after August 31, 1983.

· H.R. 4985 - 97th Congress, Sponsor [introduced]: "Comprehensive AFDC Improvement Act of 1981-Part I"

· H.J. Res. 279 - 98th Congress, Sponsor [passed, amended]: "A joint resolution expressing the sense of the Congress regarding the reduction of emigration from the Soviet Union." Expresses the sense of the Congress that the President should urge Soviet compliance with the Helsinki accords and the United Nations' Declaration of Human Rights at the U.N. General Assembly and at all other appropriate international meetings as they relate to the emigration of Soviet Jews.

· H. Res. 147 - 98th Congress, Sponsor [introduced]: "A resolution concerning observance by the Government of Romania of the Human Rights of the Hungarians in Transylvania, especially the right of self-determination." Declares that the House of Representatives deplores the denial of the rights of Hungarians and people of other nationalities in Transylvania by the Romanian Government. Requests the President and the Secretary of State to discuss the human rights of the Hungarians in Transylvania with the Government of Romania.

· H.R.4157 - 99th Congress, Sponsor [introduced]: "Child Abuse Victims Rights Act of 1986"

Child Abuse Victims Rights Act of 1986 - Amends the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Statute to extend its coverage to the sexual exploitation of children. Authorizes a civil suit for treble damages for any persons injured personally or in their business or property by violations of RICO relating to the sexual exploitation of children. Amends the Federal criminal code to provide a mandatory life sentence for any person who kidnaps an individual under the age of 18. Imposes the death penalty in any case where such victim dies as a result of the kidnapping. Increases the penalties for offenses involving the sexual exploitation of children. Provides for a mandatory minimum sentence for second offenders. Extends the statute of limitations for certain offenses involving the sexual exploitation of children. Requires the Attorney General, within one year, to submit a report to the Congress recommending possible changes in the Federal Rules of Evidence, the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, and other courtroom prosecutorial and investigative procedures which would facilitate the participation of child witnesses in cases involving child abuse and sexual exploitation. Specifies a list of considerations including: (1) the use of closed-circuit cameras, two-way mirrors, and other out-of-court statements; (2) the use of judicial discretion to circumscribe the use of harassment or confusing questions; (3) the use of videotape in investigations; (4) the possibility of streamlining investigative procedures; and (5) improved training of prosecutorial and investigative staff in the special problems of child witnesses. Requires the Attorney General to modify the classification system used by the National Crime Information Center in its Interstate Identification Index, and by the Identification Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with respect to offenses involving the sexual exploitation of children, to include the age of the victim and the relationship of the victim to the offender. Requires such classification to use a uniform definition of a child.

Political career

Siljander was appointed by President Reagan as an alternate representative to the United Nations General Assembly, serving from September 1987 to September 1988. He was an unsuccessful candidate in 1992 for nomination to the 103rd Congress from Virginia. He stated then his message was, "not religious values as much as it's common-sense American traditional values." He campaigned on a budget freeze, a ten percent flat tax and a line-item veto. In the Republican primary, Siljander came in second to Henry N. Butler, a law professor at George Mason University.

Private career

Siljander is president of Bridges to Common Ground, an NGO dedicated to promoting peace and understanding, with a specific agenda of undermining the process and causes of Islamic radicalization by bridging the divide among the faiths. The website hosts an unsourced list of “successes” ending wars and solving crisis from 1994 to 2015.

Siljander's book, A Deadly Misunderstanding: A Congressman's Quest to Bridge the Muslim-Christian Divide was a 2009 Nautilus Silver Award Winner, and has a forward written by UN Secretary General Ban Kai Moon, with whom Siljander worked closely to resolve the humanitarian disaster in Darfur.

Siljander founded Trac5, "utilizing distinctive strategies toward reconciliation and peace in the context of the Abrahamic faiths," with the stated goal to build a bridge between Islam, Judaism and Christianity.

In November 2006, Siljander gave a speech at Regent's Park College, Oxford, entitled "Overcoming the Muslim Western Divide: Seven Bridges to the Common Ground." Siljander has studied Aramaic, Arabic and Hebrew languages, and was affiliated academically with the Edinburgh Centre for Muslim-Christian Studies.

Legal controversy

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 obstruction of justice and acting as an unregistered foreign agent. On January 12, 2012, he was sentenced to a year and a day in prison.

False claims of ties to terrorism

The language used by federal prosecutors in the press conference announcing Siljander's indictment prompted global headlines tying Siljander to terrorism and terror funding.

Also, under the government’s own headline, “Terrorism and National Security”, the Justice Department included the Siljander guilty plea as one of their two announced successes against terrorism. The January 2008 news conference provoked a firestorm of reporting, that continued through 2013.

The day following the press conference, the Justice Department’s indictment News Release corrected the “terrorism” statements by stating, “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.” It went largely unreported.

Response from Siljander

Upon his release from prison, Siljander publicly protested his innocence, and claimed that two Muslim co-defendants (whom he had never met nor spoken with) had been induced to give false testimony against him in exchange for immunity from prosecution.

Siljander's open letter to his newsletter subscribers was quoted in full in several venues, and contains the following narrative: