A former congressman has been indicted as part of a terrorist fundraising ring.
Mark Deli Siljander is a former Republican congressman from Michigan. He also served as delegate to the United Nations. He's accused of being involved with a ring that allegedly sent more than $130,000 to a supporter of al-Qaida and the Taliban.
Siljander is charged with money laundering, conspiracy and obstructing justice, for allegedly lying about lobbying senators on behalf of an Islamic charity. Authorities say the charity was secretly sending money to terrorists.
The indictment accuses the charity of paying him $50,000 for the lobbying. It says the money turned out to be stolen from the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Siljander served two terms in the U.S. House. He was appointed by President Reagan to serve as a U.S. delegate to the United Nations for one year in 1987.
The charges are part of a long-running case against the charity. It was formerly based in Missouri, and was designated by the Treasury Department in 2004 as a suspected fundraiser for terrorists.
Source: http://www.wcbd.com/midatlantic/cbd/news.apx.-content-articles-CBD-2008-01-16-0031.html
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