The Biden administration slow-walked its designation of American Marc Fogel as a 'wrongful detainee' in Russia, according to Republicans and officials who previously worked on the effort to free Fogel. Fogel, an American teacher from Western Pennsylvania, was arrested in Russia in 2021 for possession of medical marijuana and was sentenced to 14 years in a Russian prison. The Biden administration did not designate Fogel as a wrongful detainee until October 2024 and did not make that designation public until December 2024. Republicans argue that the delay was due to Fogel not having celebrity status or military veteran or journalist status.