December 21, 2023

Reschenthaler, PA Lawmakers to Blinken: Marc Fogel Must Be Included in Any Prisoner Swap

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Chief Deputy Whip Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA), alongside Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and John Fetterman (D-PA), as well as Representatives Mike Kelly (R-PA), Chris Deluzio (D-PA), Dan Meuser (R-PA), Dwight Evans (D-PA), Madeleine Dean (D-PA), Brendan Boyle (D-PA), Matt Cartwright (D-PA), Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Susan Wild (D-PA), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), and Summer Lee (D-PA) urged Secretary Antony Blinken to include Pittsburgh-native Marc Fogel in any prisoner swap made with Russia. Fogel has been detained in Russia since August 2021 and is currently serving a 14-year sentence for possession of medical marijuana used to treat his severe back injury, a charge very similar to that of WNBA player Brittney Griner.
 
In the bipartisan, bicameral letter, the lawmakers wrote:
 
“Since Marc Fogel’s arrest, numerous members of the House and Senate from both sides of the aisle have urged the State Department to take further action, including classifying Mr. Fogel as wrongfully detained. Unfortunately, this designation process has stalled while Mr. Fogel’s health has deteriorated. As negotiations are ongoing with the Russian Federation, we respectfully request that any potential prisoner swap must include Mr. Fogel, along with Paul Whelan and Evan Gershkovich.”
 
Under federal law, Fogel meets at least six of the eleven established criteria to be designated as wrongfully detained by the State Department. He has yet to be classified as wrongfully detained, while Griner was designated in less than three months after her arrest. On December 8, 2022, Griner was released from Russian prison via a prisoner swap for Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer known as the “Merchant of Death.” Fogel remains in a Russian penal colony serving his sentence.
 
Read the full letter here.
 
Additional Reschenthaler Efforts:
  • On June 27, 2023, Reschenthaler introduced the Marc Fogel Act, which would require the State Department to provide Congress with copies of documents and communications on why a wrongful determination has or has not been made in cases of U.S. nationals detained abroad within six months of arrest.
  • On August 3, 2022, Reschenthaler led a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging the State Department to immediately classify Marc Fogel as wrongfully detained due to the extreme similarity to Brittney Griner’s case.
  • On October 31, 2022, Reschenthaler led a bipartisan letter to Secretary Blinken demanding the State Department prioritize securing Fogel’s release.
  • On November 3, 2022, Reschenthaler introduced a resolution of inquiry directing President Biden and Secretary Blinken to provide the U.S. House of Representatives with copies of all documents relating to the State Department’s review of the statutory criteria for Fogel to be designated as wrongfully detained.
  • On February 15, 2023, Reschenthaler and Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul led a letter to Secretary Blinken expressing serious concern that the State Department has failed to provide information on why Fogel has not been classified as wrongfully detained.