Mike Rogers claims he saw Bin Laden's body, but was not present at raid

Key facts

• Mike Rogers, a Republican candidate for Michigan's US Senate seat, claimed in a fundraising email to have seen Osama bin Laden's dead body.
• Rogers was not present at the 2011 raid that killed bin Laden, nor was he in the White House Situation Room.
• Rogers stated he was informed of the raid by phone by then-CIA Director Leon Panetta while at home in Washington D.C.
• Rogers previously stated he saw a photograph of bin Laden's body days after the raid.
• Rogers has used his past counter-terrorism experience in his campaign against opponent Abdul El-Sayed.

Mike Rogers, a Republican candidate for the open US Senate seat in Michigan and former congressman, has made a claim in a fundraising email that has drawn scrutiny. Rogers wrote that he saw the dead body of Osama bin Laden, stating, 'I saw the dead body of Osama bin Laden with my own eyes, knowing that together, we had delivered justice for America.'

However, records indicate Rogers was not present in Abbottabad, Pakistan, on May 1, 2011, when bin Laden was killed during a US military raid. He also was not in the White House Situation Room with then-President Barack Obama and other senior officials who monitored the operation in real time. Rogers himself stated the day after the raid that he was at home in Washington D.C. and was informed of the operation via a phone call from Obama's CIA Director, Leon Panetta.

Rogers' campaign has not provided an explanation for the claim. Azi Paybarah, who first reported on the email, suggested Rogers might have been referring to seeing a photograph of bin Laden's deceased body, which Rogers had commented on days after the raid, supporting the decision not to release graphic images.

Rogers has frequently invoked his past role in counter-terrorism efforts, particularly since his opponent, Abdul El-Sayed, secured the Democratic nomination. Rogers has stated that El-Sayed does not represent a vision for the future and has accused him of leading a movement grounded in ideological fanaticism, while also claiming he brought bin Laden to justice.