Alibi For Congressman Who Spoke To White Supremacist Group Completely Falls Apart

[babylonsister]

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2015/01/01/3607463/alibi-white-supremacist-convention-completely-falls-apart/

Alibi For Congressman Who Spoke To White Supremacist Group Completely Falls Apart

by Judd Legum Posted on January 1, 2015 at 9:52 pm


Congressman Steve Scalise apologized earlier this week for speaking to a group of white supremacists in 2002. You would think that would settle the question of whether Scalise spoke to a group of white supremacists.

But no.

Two days ago, Slate ran a piece quoting Kenny Knight, a close associate of David Duke, who booked the room for the white supremacist group, known as EURO. Knight claimed that he invited Scalise to speak to the “Jefferson Heights Civic Association, which was largely comprised of elderly people who lived in his and Scalise’s neighborhood.” The meeting of the civic association, Knight said, just happened to be held in the same room as the EURO conference held later that day. Knight told The Times-Picayune that he “was not a member of EURO and did not arrange for any speakers at the 2002 conference.”

The right-wing ran was the story, billing the entire controversy as little more than a hoax.

snip//

But, as it turns out, Knight was lying. Not only was Knight a member of the EURO group but “documents filed with the Louisiana secretary of state’s office list him as treasurer…” He is also listed as a member of the group in a 2002 news release for the conference in question, where he was scheduled as a speaker.

Asked about the discrepancy and the state document listing him as treasurer of the group, Knight hung up twice on a reporter for The Times-Picayune. Eventually, Knight said “Is that 15 years ago? I don’t even remember that. I’m not communicating any more with the news media. I’m finished with y’all.”

If you have any further questions, ask David Duke. In an interview with the Washington Post, Duke said he “recalled Knight reaching out to Scalise in the weeks before the conference to come and update attendees on state affairs, and that Scalise accepted without reservation.”

[Electric Monk]

1. k&r for visibility. nt

[czarjak]

2. Racist...

Who'd rather not be called a racist. Huh?

[SoapBox]

3. Ah yes...the usual pack of liars

telling their lies.

Rotten to the core.

[malaise]

4. Why are they lying

Not so proud to be known racists are they?

[Kalidurga]

5. I think this goes beyond falling apart

He not only was a speaker he was in thick with them. I doubt this makes any waves with Republicans though. Some might pretend to be embarrassed, but it's not like it's going to hurt his career not now anyway. Maybe in a couple of years demographics will get these openly racist people to act right at least in public.

[napkinz]

6. ...

[Fred Sanders]

7. "You go to a James Brown concert, you know who James Brown is." Priceless.