Washington, D.C. — U.S. Representative Glenn "GT" Thompson (PA-15), Representative Mike Kelly (PA-16), and Senator Dave McCormick (R-PA) issued the following statements yesterday after the release of Pennsylvania school teacher Marc Fogel.
"After more than three and a half long years of detention, Marc Fogel is finally on his way home from Russia," said Rep. Thompson. "Thank you to President Trump, Secretary Rubio, and the President’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff for their urgency and dedication to bringing Marc home.”
“I am thrilled that Marc Fogel is finally coming home after years of being wrongfully held in Russia," said Sen. McCormick. "I have been working with the Administration on this since day one and I’m grateful to President Trump and Secretary Rubio for delivering on their commitment to free Marc. As I told Marc’s Mom, Mafa, when we spoke in August, we had to do everything possible to get Marc home and it is a blessing that this day has finally come.”
“When President Trump met with Marc Fogel’s mother, Malphine, in Butler on July 13, 2024, he pledged to do everything he could to bring Marc home safely," said Rep. Kelly. "Today, President Trump, Secretary Rubio, and the Trump administration have fulfilled this promise. I want to thank President Trump for successfully securing Marc’s release and for reuniting the Fogel family. For years, I have met with the Fogels and have strongly advocated for Marc’s release. He is a Butler County native and Malphine is one of my constituents. Today is a great day for the Fogel family, who will be reunited in Western Pennsylvania once again.”
Background
Marc Fogel, a Butler, Pennsylvania native, taught history courses at schools attended by children of U.S. diplomats in Colombia, Venezuela, Oman, Malaysia, and, for 10 years, in Russia. Fogel was detained on August 14, 2021, and was serving a 14-year hard-labor sentence for possession of medical marijuana used to treat his severe back injury, a charge very similar to that of WNBA player Brittney Griner.
Until yesterday, Fogel was in a Russian penal colony serving his sentence.
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