Why Does the Homeland Security Department Still Employ This Black Nationalist?
Brothers in Sin: Radel, Ford
Just when you thought Canada had cornered the market on Politicians Gone Wild, the U.S. showed its northern neighbor that we've still got it. Rep. Trey Radel, R-Fla., pleaded guilty this week to a misdemeanor charge of possession of cocaine after being arrested in Dupont Circle on Oct. 29. The lawmaker was sentenced to one year of probation and a $260 fine. Take that, Rob Ford!
According to court documents, Radel bought 3.5 grams of cocaine from an undercover police officer. The police allege that the lawmaker invited the undercover officer to use cocaine with him and an acquaintance at his apartment. Radel has previously been known as the member of Congress most likely to tweet about his airplane travel. He also has a fondness for Jay-Z's "Magna Carta Holy Grail." Back in July when the album came out, Radel sent off a barrage of tweets praising it as "pretty sick." Enter the obligatory "99 Problems" reference.
Chauncey Goss, who finished second to Radel in a primary last year, said this week he may run again in 2014 — and that supporters have already gotten in touch to discuss another campaign. "I'm considering it," Goss said in an interview. Radel won the six-way primary with 30 percent of the vote, while Goss, the son of former CIA Director Porter Goss, finished second with 21.5 percent. So far, Radel has shown no inclination to resign but has taken a leave of absence.
Matt Berman and Scott Bland
Job Security
The black-nationalist Homeland Security Department employee who was placed on leave almost four months ago for running a website that espouses the mass murder of whites has still not been fired, an agency spokesperson told National Journal. The Southern Poverty Law Center first exposed Ayo Kimathi in August, prompting a small media firestorm that led DHS to place the procurement officer on administrative leave with pay, pending review. The department's deputy press secretary, Gillian Christensen, confirmed that his status has not changed. Kimathi, using the online nom de guerre "the Irritated Genie," called for "ethnic cleansing" of "black-skinned Uncle Tom race traitors" on his website, which envisioned a massive race war on the horizon. "In order for Black people to survive the 21st century, we are going to have to kill a lot of whites — more than our Christian hearts can possibly count," he wrote.
Kimathi, who has been at DHS since 2009, works for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and made $115,731 in 2012. Civil-service laws make it difficult for the federal government to fire employees.
Homeland Security has condemned Kimathi's political views and said his employment is under review, but as of this week, he remains employed. That's not acceptable, says Josh Glasstetter of the SPLC, which researches hate groups of all stripes. "DHS should be tracking Kimathi, not employing him," he told National Journal.
Alex Seitz-Wald
Brothers in Sin: Radel, Ford
Just when you thought Canada had cornered the market on Politicians Gone Wild, the U.S. showed its northern neighbor that we've still got it. Rep. Trey Radel, R-Fla., pleaded guilty this week to a misdemeanor charge of possession of cocaine after being arrested in Dupont Circle on Oct. 29. The lawmaker was sentenced to one year of probation and a $260 fine. Take that, Rob Ford!
According to court documents, Radel bought 3.5 grams of cocaine from an undercover police officer. The police allege that the lawmaker invited the undercover officer to use cocaine with him and an acquaintance at his apartment. Radel has previously been known as the member of Congress most likely to tweet about his airplane travel. He also has a fondness for Jay-Z's "Magna Carta Holy Grail." Back in July when the album came out, Radel sent off a barrage of tweets praising it as "pretty sick." Enter the obligatory "99 Problems" reference.
Chauncey Goss, who finished second to Radel in a primary last year, said this week he may run again in 2014 — and that supporters have already gotten in touch to discuss another campaign. "I'm considering it," Goss said in an interview. Radel won the six-way primary with 30 percent of the vote, while Goss, the son of former CIA Director Porter Goss, finished second with 21.5 percent. So far, Radel has shown no inclination to resign but has taken a leave of absence.
Matt Berman and Scott Bland
Job Security
The black-nationalist Homeland Security Department employee who was placed on leave almost four months ago for running a website that espouses the mass murder of whites has still not been fired, an agency spokesperson told National Journal. The Southern Poverty Law Center first exposed Ayo Kimathi in August, prompting a small media firestorm that led DHS to place the procurement officer on administrative leave with pay, pending review. The department's deputy press secretary, Gillian Christensen, confirmed that his status has not changed. Kimathi, using the online nom de guerre "the Irritated Genie," called for "ethnic cleansing" of "black-skinned Uncle Tom race traitors" on his website, which envisioned a massive race war on the horizon. "In order for Black people to survive the 21st century, we are going to have to kill a lot of whites — more than our Christian hearts can possibly count," he wrote.
Kimathi, who has been at DHS since 2009, works for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and made $115,731 in 2012. Civil-service laws make it difficult for the federal government to fire employees.
Homeland Security has condemned Kimathi's political views and said his employment is under review, but as of this week, he remains employed. That's not acceptable, says Josh Glasstetter of the SPLC, which researches hate groups of all stripes. "DHS should be tracking Kimathi, not employing him," he told National Journal.
Alex Seitz-Wald