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Shocker: Holder's punishment doesn't fit the crime as Black Panthers go free

Attorney General Eric Holder has been hinting at the idea of investigating Bush era tactics for some time now. An article by Newsweek discusses how the AG is ‘feeling the ‘weight of history.’ Slathered in partisanism and dripping with embellishments, the article goes on to say that Holder is ‘wrestling with the idea’ even though Obama doesn’t want to look back. But if it’s history that’s weighing Holder down, it’s only that of the Bush administration. Holder is more than willing to forgive the ghosts of partisan past as long as they represent team Obama. 

The Hill newspaper reported that Attorney General Eric Holder has ignored three letters from Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA), demanding to know why the Justice Department moved to dismiss the charges filed against two members of the “New Black Panther Party for Self Defense” (NBPP).
 
Dressed in military attire, National Chairman Milik Zulu Shabazz and party member Jerry Jackson blocked the doorway of a Philadelphia polling booth on Election Day 2008 and verbally threatened voters while one carried a nightstick. 
 
Under the Bush administration, the Justice Department filed a complaint against the party and the members, charging them with four counts in violation of the Voting Rights Act, which prohibits any “attempt to intimidate, threaten, or coerce” any voter or those aiding voters; however, Obama’s AG, Eric Holder, only let one charge stick. Minister King Samir Shabazz, leader of the black nationalist group’s Philadelphia chapter, was charged with “brandishing a deadly weapon” outside of the polls.

His punishment: Not being permitted to brandish a deadly weapon within 100 ft. of a Philadelphia polling station until after the 2012 elections.
 
Leaders of the NBPP said they could not allow “some racists and other angry whites, who are upset over an impending Barack Obama presidential victory, to intimidate blacks at the polls.” 
 
Needless to say, Republicans are looking for answers.
 
Concerned about politicization of the agency, Wolf and Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) have asked Justice Inspector General Glenn Fine to investigate.
 


“The American people need to know that the Justice Department takes seriously cases of voter intimidation, regardless of the political party of the defendants,” Smith said.

Fox News reported that in one of his letters to Holder, Wolf wrote:

"I worry that the department's commitment to protecting the 'fundamental right to vote' is wavering under your leadership. I fail to understand how you could dismiss a legitimate case against a party that deployed armed men to a polling station -- one of whom brandished a weapon to voters -- who harassed and intimidated voters, and could then decide such actions do not constitute a violation" of the Voting Rights Act."
 
"None of the defendants filed an answer to the lawsuit, which means that legally they admitted all of the allegations in the complaint," Wolf continued. "Yet your department dismissed the suit it had already won by default against three of the defendants."
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, Phoenix Republican Examiner

Holding a degree in political science and German, Heather once lived in Washington, D.C. working for a United States Senator. She has volunteered for various congressional campaigns and conservative organizations over the years.

Comments

  • phoenix and philly 2 years ago

    Next thing you know these fool at doj will tell us that the police in philadelphia allow voter intimidation so that's ok.

  • jack 2 years ago

    Suggest you look at the Muffled Oar to see what DOJ is up to in PHX. Poor joe is getting railroaded.

  • walrus 2 years ago

    Heather, is the whole world black and white to you?
    You don't even see the bigotry in your headline, do you?
    You really believe that investigating a president and investigating some unknown black panthers are equal investigations, don't you?
    Your point of view sees only a black investigating some whites and not investigating some blacks.
    Even David Duke isn't that bigoted.

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