by Evan Stambaugh
The Washington Free Beacon reported that the fundraiser, hosted by the Heart of LA Democratic Club, took place last Thursday at a home in Culver City. The group required proof of COVID-19 vaccination for entry and offered “contribution levels” of $50, $100, $250, $500, $1,000, and $2,900 to support Craig’s reelection to the U.S. House.
Craig, for her part, has not aligned herself with efforts to “defund the police,” unlike many other progressives in Minnesota and throughout the United States in 2020. The congresswoman faced heavy progressive backlash after openly opposing the Minneapolis charter amendment to replace the police department, even though her district doesn’t include any of Minneapolis.
But Tyler Kistner, a Republican running against Craig in the midterms after losing to her by just 2.3% in 2020, released a statement blasting her fundraiser appearance as an act of hypocrisy.
“Craig’s hypocrisy on public safety is disqualifying, and she should immediately apologize to the voters of the 2nd District for her deception. While Angie Craig claims to be against defunding the police her actions say otherwise,” he said. “Throughout her tenure in Congress Craig has supported radicals in her party, and utilizing radical groups to raise money is par for the course for Congresswoman Craig.”
The Free Beacon found multiple instances of the Heart of LA Democratic Club clearly supporting the “defund the police” movement last summer.
In one tweet from June 17, 2020, Heart of LA commended Black Lives Matter for its “compelling presentation to LA City Council on defunding the police and investing in a bold, community-based approach to public safety” and called the idea “a big step towards progress.”
Yesterday, @BLMLA & #PeoplesBudgetLA made a compelling presentation to LA City Council on defunding the police and investing in a bold, community-based approach to public safety. Today, @CD6Nury & Council took a big step towards progress. Thank you all.https://t.co/BsyIb4wGcY
— HeartLADems (@HeartLADems) June 17, 2020
On June 8 group vice president Sarah Kate Levy said on Twitter that George Floyd’s death precipitated her newfound conviction in defunding the police.
That same month Heart of LA Democratic Club endorsed the CRISES Act, which purported to “provide stability, safety, and culturally informed and appropriate responses to immediate emergency situations,” according to the ACLU.
Then in October 2020 the group endorsed Nithya Raman, a Democratic Socialist who supported “defunding the police,” for LA City Council.
A spokesperson told The Free Beacon that Craig “has always been an outspoken opponent of defunding the police.”
– – –
Evan Stambaugh is a freelance writer who had previously been a sports blogger. He has a BA in theology and an MA in philosophy. In 2016 he was a volunteer, intern, and field assistant for Donald Trump’s successful presidential campaign.
Photo “Angie Craig” by Lorie Shaull CC BY 2.0.
