Fundraising Off Hate Endangers Americans and American Democracy

For Immediate Release Contact: Shannon Craig Straw, West End Strategy Team, 202-776-7700, scstraw@westendstrategy.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 30, 2021

CONTACT
Manisha Sunil, West End Strategy Team
msunil@westendstrategy.com; Phone: 202-417-0171

Fundraising Off Hate Endangers Americans and American Democracy
Rep. Lauren Boebert is the latest in a long line of political figures to intentionally profit from anti-Muslim bigotry and hate speech

WASHINGTON—The last several days have seen Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) repeatedly make, or be revealed to have made, noxious and inflammatory statements concerning a fellow member of Congress, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN). Such statements are absolutely unacceptable in any context, but the fact that Rep. Boebert fundraises off the outrage both deepens the damage and adds to the danger — not least because she isn’t alone, her words coming on the heels of similarly hate-filled comments from far too many others, both in and outside of the formal Republican Party structure.

“Americans have become sadly accustomed to hate speech at the highest levels,” said Rabbi Jack Moline, president of Interfaith Alliance on Tuesday, “but we dare not become complacent. The fundraising machinery that benefits from anger, hate, and fear serves no one but those individuals whose careers, inside and out of politics, depend on it. Though Rep. Boebert is no stranger to pedaling hate, this latest outrage is one of the most egregious shows of anti-Muslim bigotry I have seen from an elected official in many years.

“Far too many of us have stopped calling on the Republican Party to take a stand against hate-filled rhetoric and the dangers it poses to individual Americans and our democracy, but we dare not cede our responsibility as citizens. Our elected representatives need to hear from us. We reject messages of hate. We reject the machinery that very literally profits from those messages. The Republican Party has a duty to the entire American people to hold Rep. Boebert, and anyone else who uses the national stage to fundraise off hate, accountable for their actions.”

If you are interested in speaking further with Interfaith Alliance on this issue, please contact Manisha Sunil at (202) 417-0171 or msunil@westendstrategy.com.

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Interfaith Alliance celebrates religious freedom by championing individual rights, promoting policies that protect both religion and democracy, and uniting diverse voices to challenge extremism. Founded in 1994, Interfaith Alliance brings together members from 75 faith traditions as well as those without a faith tradition to protect faith and freedom. For more information visit interfaithalliance.org.