Washington, D.C.—On February 11, 2025, Chairman Rick Crawford joined President Donald Trump and several other U.S. Senators and Congressmen in welcoming Marc Fogel home to the United States.
“It was an honor and a privilege to meet Marc Fogel at the White House last night. Mr. Fogel was wrongfully detained in Russia in 2021 and was treated as a pawn in a larger game of political chess. I am so proud of the work President Trump, Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and their teams did to bring home an American citizen whose plight had been largely ignored by the Biden Administration since his detention began.
On the campaign trail, President Trump promised the Fogel family that he would bring Marc home to them, and within his first month after taking office, he has fulfilled that solemn promise. I have no doubt that this is just the beginning of a resurgence in America’s standing in the world. Our strength is returning, and I have complete faith the President’s team will be able to bring home more wrongfully detained Americans from Russia in the future.
As I watched Mr. Fogel arrive at the White House, I couldn’t help but say a prayer of thanks to God for his safe return. Seeing a man who had been sentenced to 14 years smile, wave, and cling to our flag reminded me that when tested, America will always rise to the challenge,” said Chairman Crawford.
