Despite the victory via Electoral College of President-elect Donald Trump, there’s no love lost between various factions of the Democratic party. Democrats are currently looking for a new person to head up the Democratic National Committee, and Minnesota representative Keith Ellison has been considered a top contender for the job since throwing his name into the hat November 14. But, as past statements by Ellison, the first Muslim elected to congress, have come to light, his critics have as well. Among them is billionaire Haim Saban, Saban Entertainment founder and major Hillary Clinton donor who contributed more than $12 million to the Democratic candidate’s campaign.
Speaking today before the annual Saban Forum at the Brooking Institution, Saban made his displeasure with Ellison clear in stark terms, calling him an “anti-Semitic and anti-Israel person.” Saban, who clarified that he didn’t have a problem with Ellison’s religion, added that Ellison, he believes, would be “a disaster for both Israel and the Democratic Party.”
Saban’s comments were in response to growing controversies dogging Ellison, among them his past ties to the Nation of Islam, which he renounced in 2006, as well as statements made in 2010 that came to light after a recording was leaked, which have been characterized by some critics as anti-Israel. Ellison for his part says the comments, made at a private fundraiser, were taken out of context and that the audio was doctored.
Story via the Times of Israel.
