Abdul El-Sayed’s Senate campaign is facing scrutiny over past social media posts by his longtime communications director, Roxie Richner, who previously defended looting during the 2020 unrest and promoted calls to defund police departments. Richner wrote that police were 'instigating violence' and argued that public anger was a response to systemic injustice. She also lashed out at critics she described as 'white Ann Arbor' residents and threatened to expose them for what she called racism.

Richner amplified posts describing police departments as systemically racist and referred to major city police forces as 'the biggest gangs in America.' She also shared messages asserting that racist violence and police killings are inherent to capitalism. Additional posts included criticism of white Americans and calls for anti-racist activism among white families.

The resurfaced posts add to questions about El-Sayed’s own past rhetoric on law enforcement, which he has recently sought to distance himself from during a competitive Democratic primary. His campaign said Richner’s years-old posts are unrelated to her current work and dismissed the criticism as an attempt to smear the candidate.

The article also highlights Richner’s posts critical of Israel and notes El-Sayed’s recent comments regarding Middle East policy and his campaign appearances with controversial progressive figures. El-Sayed has defended his positions and associations, arguing that past remarks have been taken out of context.