Mark Deli Siljander: Former Congressman, United Nations Delegate, and Possibly a Shill for Terrorists

I think that respect should be extended to people in public office, as a recognition of the importance of their position.

I also think that members of Congress should not hide behind the 'separation of powers' principle. They're as likely, or unlikely, to commit crimes as anyone else.

And with the access to sensitive information and high-level contacts they've got, a rogue member of Congress can be a very big problem.

Remember, in the months after September 11, 2001, how classified information just happened to show up in the news after members of Congress got their hands on it? And the fuss lawmakers raised, when the FBI asked them to take polygraph tests?

I understand how important it is to keep one branch of the federal government from interfering with another. I also think that somebody's got to be able to check up on members of Congress.

For example, there's Mark Deli Siljander. He represented Michigan as a Republican in the House Representatives from 1981 to 1987. Then President Reagan made him a United Nations delegate for a year.

Mr. Siljander seems to have been busy since then. He's been charged with

• Money laundering
• Conspiracy
• Obstructing justice

Just because he allegedly lied about taking money for lobbying senators for the Islamic American Relief Agency (IARA). The problem isn't that the IARA is Islamic: it's that they're most likely sending money to terrorists. The IARA gave money to Mr. Siljander, too: including $50,000 that was stolen from the U.S. Agency for International Development.

So What?

Being a member of Congress doesn't protect people from making bad decisions: and it shouldn't protect them from being subject to the laws that they, and the Supreme Court, make up for the rest of us.