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June 01, 2009 07:41 PM UTC

Tancredo's PAC director pleads guilty to hate crime

  • 64 Comments
  • by: twas brillig

( – promoted by Colorado Pols)

How embarrassing that this story is Colorado-relevant, but….

Last week, jaws dropped around the country as Tom Tancredo led the charge against Sonia Sotomayor — ludicrously accusing the Supreme Court nominee of being a racist, and making blatantly slanderous claims about the National Council of La Raza.

Let’s square that today with the news that Marcus Epstein, Tancredo’s Political Action Committee executive director, is pleading guilty to a 2007 assault on a woman walking down the sidewalk while shouting racial epithets…and he’s still on the job.

On July 7, 2007, at approximately 7:15 p.m. at Jefferson and M Street, Northwest, in Washington, D.C., defendant was walking down the street making offensive remarks when he encountered the complainant, Ms. [REDACTED], who is African-American. The defendant uttered, “Nigger,” as he delivered a karate chop to Ms. [REDACTED]’s head.

Given Tancredo has had two years to get rid of this guy, he and his organization are openly tolerating a violent racist as its lead employee. Considering in 2003 Epstein was authoring pieces attacking Martin Luther King Jr., among other “race consciousness” and neo-confederate activities, Tancredo can’t reliably say he was only giving his ED the benefit of the doubt during this legal process.

According to the Washington Independent:

A spokesman for Team America PAC confirmed that Epstein is still at work until he leaves for law school in the fall, and an official statement is forthcoming.

(h/tip TPM)

Update via comments: Looks like law school suddenly is on hold, but wouldn’t you know Epstein’s current employers are very “tolerant” folks.  

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64 thoughts on “Tancredo’s PAC director pleads guilty to hate crime”

  1. That just seems like overkill.

    Oh well, I’m sure our friendly neighborhood Republicans will remind us the karate chop was taken out of context or something.

    1. and even if it was, it’s okay in certain circumstances . . .

      So is the “defendant” AKA Exec Dir of Tancredo’s PAC a racist or a reverse racist?  I get so confused with all the name-calling and labeling.

    2. It’s the racial slur that was taken out of context.

      I’m sure there was a perfectly reasonable, non-racist reason for him to use the “N” word while karate-chopping a black woman.

      Just like there was a perfectly rational explanation for Tancredo singing “Dixie” with a crowd of Southern secessionists dressed in Confederate uniforms… or for Tancredo describing the NCLR as “KKK without the hoods and nooses.”

  2. but it appears he plead guilty to this in January of 2008. Your diary gives the impression that this happened recently and from the linked attachment to his plea, it appears that is not the case.

    1. I didn’t click through to the plea document before blogging this. I’m wondering if someone has been sitting on this for a while and waiting for the right time, considering Tancredo and the Buchanans were crazy enough to keep him around afterwards.  

      1. The timing is, how shall I put this…interesting, no?

        Couldn’t happen to a more deserving racist than Tancredo, in my opinion. And I don’t use that word lightly or often when I describe someone. But hey, in addition to his own vile spewings, you are known by the company you keep.  

            1. Look again. The date for the deferred sentencing review is 7/08/09. Not 2008. It has not happened yet. It appears this is what is being recommended for his offense.

              Maybe it’s a really conservative, right wing frothing dimfuck judge who thinks it’s okay to called black women “niggers” and then assault them. Just a thought of course…

              1. Its really interesting Middle that you use that quoted word so often. It says that you like to use it … we know your type too. You often use that word with your white and asian friends don’t you?  Do you know that people can see it in your face when you attempt to cover in front of blacks when you look all surprised when the word pops up, you’re like a Judas.

                You are also one of those that interlaces my screen name often with a derogatory term for those with trisomy 21. You and your guy Obama …

                “I bowled a 129….it was like Special Olympics, or something.”

                you’re both masters of American elitism and purveyors of the soft bigotry of low expectations.

                2. Keep trying, dumbass. I realize that this probably works with some of your GED fellow graduates but calling me a racist isn’t going to get a rise out of me, for one very simple reason–you’re too stupid to matter to me. 🙂

                    1. my expectations of you are indeed the lowliest.

                      Why do you insist

                      we know your type too. You often use that word with your white and asian friends don’t you?  Do you know that people can see it in your face when you attempt to cover in front of blacks when you look all surprised when the word pops up, you’re like a Judas.

                      Is this how you and your friends imaginary play friends behave?

      3. It appears as if the sentencing date for Epstein was just released recently.  That sentencing date is 7/8/09.  That’s why it just made the news.

    1. But then, I am always surprised by anyone that actually follows someone and calls them ugly names.

      I am more surprised that ANY boss would then keep that person on staff.  The word Nigger is considered an assault in many cities and states.

      I wonder what the story would have been had that woman beat his ass.  I know, violence never solved anything…  But putting a good ole fashioned beat down on ignorance is sometimes the best way to deal with these people.

      Don’t the Republicans believe you can’t talk to people that are hostile towards you.  Don’t the Repubs believe the only way to deal with people who mean you harm is with force?

      Maybe people of color should take up the Republican mantra and see how the Repubs like their own policy.

      Tancredo obviously has a staff of punks and cowards.  That fact, David, does not surprise me.

      1. and I think we have an apology coming from all those on the right who defend him as only against illegal immigrants, not a bigot.  I’d like to see a bunch of people writing on the blackboard a thousand times “Tom Tancredo IS a racist.  I was wrong about that”

        Shocking that the guy pleaded guilty a year and a half ago, is still working for Tancredo and most are hearing about this for the first time.

      2. that is the most shocking part of this whole ordeal.  Here is an apparent White Supremecist using a martial arts move which originated in Asia.  He couldn’t come up with a good old fashioned caucasian manuever?  He is a “race trader”….

  5. …but you would think he’d find a handful of presentable bigots to run the PAC and be the face the public sees.  I guess not.

    1. And remember when he had those wonderful “!Viva Tancredo!” yard signs and bumper stickers? Talk about the height of irony. Wish I’d kept one…

  6. How about sending  your item to Ed Schultz, Olbermann, Rachel Maddow, etc with the up-date about the guilty plea being from back in January 2008 and see if we can get anyone interested in making some noise about it. Cute contrast between calling a few remarks that might have been worded a little differently as evidence of racism as bad of that of the KKK and treating the attacking of a woman while screaming the N word as no biggie. You can get contact info for all of them at   http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30…

    1. After all the hate filled bullshit and then the murder of Dr. Tiller, I think it’s time we start hitting back–hard.

      And Twas, you might want to email Admin at Daily Kos about this one. This would be front paged in a heart beat, I would bet.  

        1. It’s been a while since I went through the process, but as I recall it was pretty rigorous.  We had to get background checks, driving records, character witnesses, etc.  

          1. State, term of confinement, apparent release for parole/probation?  

            Judges usually get to the point with the convicted.  What were the judges words at sentencing?

                1. to your questions. If you don’t see the answers to your questions, feel free to do some research and give all of us some updated information that Twas can add to his front paged diary.

                  Thanks!

                    1. This link goes to the parent directory of the case file images. You can poke around there, but it looks like he pled to simple assault, bias related, with a hate crime enhancement. The local charge is a violation of 22 D.C. Code, Section 404.

                    2. From Pensito Review:

                      Epstein was walking down the street making offensive remarks when he encountered the victim, called her [a “nigger”] and struck her in her head. He was briefly detained by the woman’s husband, but was able to escape, only to be arrested minutes later by a Secret Service officer who witnessed the attack. According to the officer’s statement, a friend of Epstein’s informed him that he had been drinking.

                      Epstein will be sentenced in July. He faces a maximum punishment of 180 days in jail and could pay a $1000 fine. He will also undergo an alcohol program, write a letter of apology to his victim and donate $1000 to the United Negro College Fund.

                    4. feel re victimized. It’s so great to see your caring side and deep “concern.”

                    5. Why, doesn’t the judge realize that the UNCF is just like the KKK, except without the hoods and nooses?

                    7. But, since you don’t really give a shit what is actually being discussed, that doesn’t matter to you.  Go ahead and make yourself look like a complete fucking moron.  It’s your absolute Constitutional right.

                      And you’re damned good at it.

                    8. Ralphie was referring to someone else – not the post now appearing immediately above his.

                    9. There are only x number of indentations allowed here.  It gets confusing unless you follow who the true fucking morons are.

                2. Almost certainly a misdemeanor.  The plea bargain states it replaced a more serious charge (probably a civil rights violation, probably equal to some form of aggravated assault and therefore a felony).

                  1. If you play around with the URL given for the signature page of the guilty plea, you can get to pages 68, 69, and 70 of the case record, which cover the terms of the plea agreement and the charge to which he pleaded.

    3. it is mostly self reported, but often will result in disbarment for even minor deviations.

      Convictions are not dispositive, but everything needs an explanation, even arrests with no charge.  Most people need to explain a thing or 2.

      However, being a member of a hate group has been used to deny admission to the Bar before.

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M…

      I thought it was a little heavy handed at the time (I believe in freedom of thought even of people I despise), but I didn’t know about his previous hate inspired assaults.  Matt Hale later went on to solicit murder against a judge after his Bar admission was denied.

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