NDP Chair Jane Kleeb today demanded that the Nebraska Republican Party and its GOP candidates and officeholders return all contributions received from TD Ameritrade founder Joe Ricketts, who was called out this week for a series of racist and anti-Muslim emails.
“Joe Ricketts makes huge donations to the Nebraska GOP and has given thousands of dollars to U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse, Reps. Don Bacon, Adrian Smith and many other Republicans over the years,” Kleeb said. “The Nebraska GOP should return all of Joe Ricketts’ racist money and encourage its candidates and current officeholders to do the same.”
Ricketts, the billionaire father of Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts, was forced to publicly apologize after اوقات نيويورك وكتبت وسائل إعلام أخرى عن رسائل البريد الإلكتروني التي أرسلها والتي ركزت على الخوف من المسلمين واحتوت على نظريات المؤامرة حول الرئيس السابق باراك أوباما ، من بين أمور أخرى.
“Gov. Ricketts, who also has taken contributions from his father, has tried to distance himself from his father’s comments, saying he pointed out in the email exchanges that some of the statements were not true,” Kleeb said. “However, the Republicans cannot say on the one hand they think the comments are awful while continuing to take Joe Ricketts’ money to fund their campaigns with the other.”
في إحدى رسائل البريد الإلكتروني ، كتب ريكيتس أن "المسيحيين واليهود يمكن أن يتمتعوا باحترام متبادل لبعضهم البعض لإنشاء مجتمع مدني" ، لكن "الإسلام لا يستطيع فعل ذلك". وتابع قائلاً: "لا يمكننا أبدًا أن نسمح للإسلام أن يصبح جزءًا كبيرًا من مجتمعنا" ، وأن "المسلمين هم بطبيعة الحال عدو (لنا)".
“America was founded on the principle of freedom of religion, as afforded in the Constitution,” Kleeb said. “Apparently, Joe Ricketts doesn’t believe what our founders did.”
كما أشار بشكل روتيني إلى أنه قد تسلىته النكات العنصرية التي يرسلها إليه الآخرون ، معتبراً أن النكات التي تكون فيها النكات عبارة عن افتراء عنصري "ضحكة كبيرة" ، وفقًا لـ واشنطن بوست.
On a related note, the أوماها وورلد هيرالد reported Wednesday that Creighton University announced that it will no longer include Joe Ricketts in a university event honoring accomplished alumni, citing the email scandal.
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