One year after Marc Fogel was\u00a0<\/span>brought from a Russian prison to the White House, the former schoolteacher is celebrating his freedom alongside his 96-year-old mother and the lawmakers who never stopped fighting for him.<\/span><\/p>\n Fogel, who spent more than three years imprisoned in Russia, returned to the United States in February after President Donald Trump secured his release. While Fogel has largely stayed out of the spotlight over the past year, those closest to him say he is still adjusting to life back home.<\/span><\/p>\n So is his mother, Malphine, who says she\u2019s still not used to the fact that her son is home.<\/p>\n \u201cI still wake up praying that Marc comes home \u2014 it just hasn\u2019t fully registered yet,\u201d Malphine Fogel told The Daily Wire. \u201cBut he\u2019s doing well. He hasn\u2019t talked a whole lot about his experience, but he\u2019s enjoying family life again, catching up on sports, and relishing every moment.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Marc Fogel in a Russian prison (Courtesy)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Fogel, 64, was sentenced to 14 years in prison for possessing medical marijuana in 2021 when he arrived in Moscow with his wife, Jane. An employee of the Anglo-American School of Moscow, Fogel spent 27 years teaching the children overseas, and was planning to retire the year he was arrested. An American doctor prescribed the marijuana after Fogel had surgeries on his back, shoulder, and knee.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The State Department designated Fogel as \u201cwrongfully detained\u201d last December. Those involved in his case say he may have been targeted because of the school where he worked, which closed in April 2023 and was labeled a \u201cforeign agent\u201d by Russian authorities. At the time, the United States government <\/span>condemned<\/span><\/a> the closure of the school for diplomats\u2019 children, calling it \u201ctroubling\u201d and denouncing the shutdown as occurring \u201cwithout legitimate cause.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Throughout Fogel\u2019s imprisonment, his family waged a relentless campaign to keep his case in the public eye and pressure politicians to act to secure his freedom.<\/span><\/p>\n Marc Fogel returning to the United States<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Lawmakers who helped bring about Fogel\u2019s release are marking the anniversary of his freedom, including Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA), who gave the credit to President Trump.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHis release was a top priority of mine in Congress, where I led the fight to force the Biden administration to bring him home,\u201d Reschenthaler told The Daily Wire. \u201cWhile our pleas to President Biden went unanswered, President Trump acted swiftly and secured Marc\u2019s freedom just weeks after his inauguration.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n In August 2024, The Daily Wire published an <\/span>exclusive recording<\/span><\/a> of Fogel saying his \u201csoul is dead\u201d after being left out of a prisoner swap with Russia brokered by the Biden administration. He described feeling like a \u201csecond-class citizen\u201d as higher-profile Americans, including WNBA player Brittney Griner and Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, were brought home. The Fogel family had long been frustrated that he was not immediately granted the same \u201cwrongfully detained\u201d status \u2014 which would have unlocked financial support for his medical care \u2014 that Griner and Gershkovich received.<\/span><\/p>\n Instead, the Fogel family turned their attention to then-candidate Trump. Malphine met with Trump at his July 2024 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where he told her he would do everything he could to free her son if elected. She was scheduled to appear <\/span>on stage<\/span><\/a> with Trump until a would-be assassin fired at him.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHe did make good on his promise,\u201d Malphine told The Daily Wire. \u201cHe promised to do it, and it happened immediately. We\u2019re always going to be grateful for that. Just truly grateful.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n When the shooting occurred, Malphine was just about 25 feet from President Trump and standing next to Senator Dave McCormick (R-PA). He, too, promised to push for Fogel\u2019s release before taking office.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI remain overjoyed and deeply proud of President Trump and his team for moving with urgency to bring Marc Fogel home,\u201d McCormick told The Daily Wire. \u201cStanding next to President Trump, I first met Marc\u2019s mother in his hometown of Butler, where I promised to do everything I could to help bring him home. Dina and I renewed that promise when we later hosted her in our Pittsburgh home.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Malphine Fogel with Pennsylvania GOP national committee woman Christine Toretti, Sen. Dave McCormick, and Rep. Dan Meuser.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/dw-wp-production.imgix.net\/2024\/07\/PhotoOct03202282115AM-599x576.jpg\")
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