Former MDP Chair Wants Party To Investigate Indicted Members

(Source: MIRS.news, Published 06/15/2026) A former chair of the Michigan Democratic Party (MDP) has asked the MDP for an investigation into five of the eight people indicted in a conspiracy threatening University of Michigan officials.

Lon Johnson, former MDP chair, is requesting a formal review under the MDP's Code of Conduct, which prohibits bullying, harassment and other conduct that undermines a safe and respectful environment for all participants.

The five defendants identified as members of the MDP are: Zainab Hakim of Canton, Amatullah Hakim of Canton, Jonathan Zou of Ann Arbor and Mariam Odeh of Dearborn, who became members in March, and Paige Feyock of Ann Arbor, who has been an MDP member since January.

Odeh, of Dearborn, is a former hourly employee of U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed's campaign.

MIRS confirmed through a second source that all five were members of the MDP by late March. The MDP declined to confirm information that at least three of the five voted in the MDP's endorsement convention this spring.

"If the … individuals identified in the indictment are members, officers, delegates, or otherwise affiliated with the Party, I respectfully request that the appropriate committee review whether the alleged conduct is consistent with Party standards and determine whether further action including suspension or expulsion is warranted," Johnson's letter reads.

"This request is not intended to prejudge the outcome of the criminal case but rather to ensure that the Party's stated commitment to opposing harassment, intimidation, and discriminatory conduct is applied consistently," he added.

MDP spokesperson Derrick Honeyman said they've received Johnson's request, but the MDP does not comment on pending complaints. He also declined to say whether the five identified in Johnson's letter are members of the MDP.

Under the MDP’s Code of Conduct, the chair has 24 hours to determine whether a complaint is appropriate and 48 hours to appoint a three-person panel to investigate the allegations, if it's determined the allegation conforms to the reporting requirements.

In an earlier statement, MDP Chair Curtis Hertel condemned the allegations in the indictment.

"We are appalled by the details of this indictment and the hateful, anti-Semitic threats that took place," he said. "The Michigan Democratic Party condemns all acts of hatred and violence, which have no place in Michigan and should not be tolerated."

The indictment alleged the eight defendants conspired to threaten university officials, law enforcement and businesses, including targeting the homes of a U-M official and the provost, from October 2023 through April 2025.

The charges came after top U-M officials' homes had been targeted by demonstrations and vandalism as protesters demanded the university halt its endowment investments in military contractors and Israeli companies due to Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza.

"I worked in the 2006 West Bank elections, and I'm seeing some of the same Hamas-like intimidation tactics here, and it's time we draw a line," Johnson told MIRS.