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Ranking House Democrat Stood On Stage With Farrakhan in 2011

[additional-authors]
March 9, 2018
Photo from Wikimedia Commons.

Yet another congressional Democrat has been found to have past association with virulent anti-Semite Louis Farrakhan, as Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC), the third-highest ranking Democrat in the House of Representatives, reportedly stood onstage with Farrakhan in 2011.

The Daily Caller highlighted an article from the Final Call, which is a news outlet promulgated by Farrakhan’s Nation of Islam, stating that Clyburn attended a town hall featuring Farrakhan despite being urged by Rabbi Abraham Cooper of the Simon Wisenthal not to go. Clyburn even stood onstage with Farrakhan and thanked the anti-Semite “for offering up a number of precepts that we ought to adhere to.”

Clyburn issued a statement to The Daily Caller that read, “I have fought all my life to advance the cause of social justice and equality, and I have always opposed bigotry in all its forms.” His statement did not mention Farrakhan and didn’t respond to The Daily Caller’s request to condemn Farrakhan.

Clyburn is the latest Democrat to face questions over previous ties to Farrakhan. Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL) has twice told The Daily Caller himself that he is personally fond of Farrakhan despite his anti-Semitism while Davis’ office keeps trying to downplay his warmth toward Farrakhan. On Mar. 8, Davis issued a statement denouncing Farrakhan, stating: “Let me be clear: I reject, condemn and oppose Minister Farrakhan’s views and remarks regarding the Jewish people and the Jewish religion.

Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN), the deputy chair of the Democratic National Committee, received a “four Pinocchios” rating from The Washington Post for claiming that his ties to Farrakhan ended before he ran for Congress. Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel called on DNC Chair Tom Perez to address Ellison’s ties to Farrakhan.

“Keith Ellison’s long pattern of lies about his ongoing relationship with Louis Farrakhan, who the Anti-Defamation League calls ‘America’s leading anti-Semite,’ has put a stain on the Democrat Party,” McDaniel said. “Anti-Semitism has no place in American politics, Tom Perez must address this issue.

Another Democrat who is under fire for his past ties to Farrakhan, Rep. Andre Carson (D-IN), responded to such questions by attacking the Republican Jewish Coalition for calling on him and six other Democrats with ties to Farrakhan to resign and tried to claim the RJC was hypocritical for not condemning Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

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