ADL Urges Ryan To Censure Steve King Over His ‘Anti-Semitism’ And ‘Bigotry’

FILE - In this June 19, 20007 file photo, Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Lauren Victoria Burke, File)
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The Anti-Defamation League has had enough of Rep. Steve King’s (R-IA) “anti-Semitic and offensive” actions.

In a Tuesday letter, ADL national director and CEO Jonathan Greenblatt urged House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) to initiate censure proceedings and strip King of his subcommittee chairmanship over his history of consorting with anti-Semitic organizations and retweeting white nationalists’ views.

“Rep. King has brought dishonor onto the House of Representatives,” Greenblatt wrote in the letter, adding that the ADL is a non-partisan group that does not typically support or oppose politicians.

As evidence, Greenblatt pointed to King’s meetings with members of Austria’s Freedom Party—a far-right political party founded by a former SS officer—and his endorsement of Faith Goldy, a white nationalist running for mayor of Toronto.

Last weekend’s mass shooting at Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill synagogue, Greenblatt said, is a reminder “that silence in the face of anti-Semitism and hate is acquiescence.”

National Republican Congressional Committee Chair Steve Stivers (R-OH) condemned King’s “completely inappropriate” comments for the first time on Tuesday, saying the GOP “must stand up against white supremacy and hate in all forms.” Several companies, including Land O’Lakes and Purina, have pulled financial support for the congressman.

King, who is running for reelection, was unrepentant. In a tweet, he replied that attacks against him are “orchestrated by nasty, desperate, and dishonest fake news.”

The Iowa congressman has served in Congress since 2003, and currently serves as chairman of the House subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice.

Read the ADL’s full letter below.

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