House Majority Whip Steve Scalise
Steve Scalise, a Louisiana congressman and the number three Republican in the House,
admitted on Monday that as a state representative, he addressed former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke's European-American Unity and Rights Organization in 2002. Unsurprisingly for any group affiliated with Duke, the organization is classified as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. The story was first brought to light on Sunday night by the Louisiana-based blog
Cen Lamar.
Scalise's allies anonymously told Robert Costa of the Washington Post that the congressman was poorly staffed at the time, and did not really know who he was talking to. Scalise's camp is also saying that he had no idea that he was addressing a hate group. As Lamar writes, Duke himself was not present at the conference. However, as a former Senate and gubernatorial candidate, Duke was (and still is) an incredibly well known figure in Louisiana politics. If it was clear that Scalise was talking to a Duke group, it will be hard for him to plead ignorance.
Costa tweets that House GOP leaders know about the story and are keeping an eye on things. Scalise's own staff is reportedly looking at what Scalise told the group. Needless to say, Speaker John Boehner and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy are hoping that Scalise can prove he did not in fact know what was going on around him. We'll see what else, if anything, comes to light.
Disclaimer: As a college student in 2008, I made phone calls on behalf of Scalise's Democratic rival and was paid about $100.00 for my efforts.
4:03 PM PT: This doesn't look great either:
6:44 PM PT: Scalise himself just earned the worst personal endorsement possible. Duke himself is now calling the whip a "good person." This is not going to help Scalise's situation.
7:02 PM PT:
Boehner, McCarthy mum. But people close to them both are nervous. This came out of left field. Privately, mounting concern.
— @costareports
