Horace Sheffield III endorsed Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed on his radio show last week, urging listeners to make phone calls to support him in the upcoming primary against Rep. Haley Stevens. Sheffield, who is the pastor of New Destiny Christian Fellowship and hosts 'The Wake-Up Call' on FaithTalk 101.5 FM, has publicly supported El-Sayed multiple times without disclosing campaign payments made to his nonprofit organization, Ecumenical Ministers Alliance.
Campaign finance records indicate that El-Sayed's campaign made 10 payments of $7,500 each to Sheffield's nonprofit, totaling $75,000, categorized as 'political consulting' from October 21 to June 1. Sheffield incorporated the nonprofit in 2010, which is registered at his home address.
In a video recorded at El-Sayed's campaign headquarters, Sheffield expressed confidence in El-Sayed's chances against Stevens. El-Sayed acknowledged the endorsement, stating he was 'deeply honored.' Sheffield previously faced scrutiny in 2018 for endorsing another candidate while receiving payments from that campaign.
A spokeswoman for Salem Media, which owns FaithTalk 101.5 FM, clarified that Sheffield is not an employee and that his views do not represent the company, which is supporting Mike Rogers for U.S. Senate. Sheffield has voiced support for El-Sayed's positions against corporate PAC money and in favor of Medicare for All, while also criticizing Stevens' visibility in Detroit, where polling indicates she leads by 46 points among black voters in Michigan.