Fidelis and National Jewish Groups Demanding Casey, Jr. Return Campaign Contributions

Today, I received the following press release in an email from Joseph Cella of Fidelis:

Fidelis and National Jewish Groups Demanding Casey, Jr. Return Campaign Contributions

Anti-Catholic, Anti-Semitic Record Prompts Outrage

PITTSBURGH, PA – Fidelis joined national Catholic and Jewish groups Wednesday by calling out U.S. Senate candidate Bob Casey, Jr. for his financial ties to anti-Catholic and anti-Semitic organizations. Fidelis, along with The Center for Jewish Values (CJV) and the National Committee for the Furtherance of Jewish Education (NCFJE) appeared in joint press conferences Wednesday in the Pennsylvania cities of Harrisburg, Scranton and Pittsburgh, calling upon Casey to return over $300,000 in contributions received from the radical left wing groups MoveOn.org and the Human Rights Campaign and to denounce their anti-Semitic and anti-Catholic statements.

Joseph Cella, President of Fidelis commented, “The fact is that Bob Casey’s largest contributors include the anti-Catholic and anti-Semitic groups MoveOn.org and the Human Rights Campaign. It is despicable that Casey is accepting money from the same type of radicals who in 1992 sold buttons of his father depicting him as the Pope, and is refusing to return their campaign contributions and denounce their hateful bigotry.”

“Bob Casey, Jr. recently returned a $2,100 contribution from a syndicated sex columnist because of his raunchy reputation, and recently returned a $5,000 contribution after learning the group’s director of political giving bashed Israel and called President Bush a fascist. Why does Casey have a double standard when it comes to MoveOn.org and the Human Rights Campaign?” Cella stated.

Cella also announced the launch of a new website aimed at pressuring Casey to return the contributions. The website CaseysMoneyCloset.com urges visitors to sign a petition, and call or fax Casey’s campaign offices to force him to return the money. “CaseysMoneyCloset.com was launched to expose the shocking amount of money Casey has taken in from these radicals, illustrate their hate-filled bigotry, force Casey to return their money and denounce their bigoted statements,” said Cella. The website includes a rolling counter of estimated contributions Casey has received from the controversial groups and a video ad contest.

Michael Adler, Pennsylvania Spokesman for the CJV stated: "As a proud Jewish-American living in Pennsylvania, I want Casey to return this dirty money and reassure all Jews that he rejects MoveOn.org's hate and anti-Semitism. Casey should be required to respond to our repeated requests as to why he is taking hundreds of thousands from radical liberals and left-wingers who call Jews "ZioNazis," "greedy," "sneaky" and "pigs" on their message boards."

Rabbi Hanoch Hecht, Special Projects Coordinator of the NCFJE stated: "I am a sixth generation American. I believe strongly in the democratic system and I wish to defend it. I do not believe that the democratic system can work based on deceit and deception, on hatred and bigotry. I am embarrassed for my party."

“No one should stand together with those who call Zionists "Zionazis." People who use such obscene language are anti-semitic and suffer from a terrible hatred. Such comments are anti-American and divisive. It is critical that people in the political world disassociate themselves from this. I call upon people of good will to return the money generated by such hate,” Hecht said.

Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life did not appear Monday, but issued the following statement in his personal capacity as a US citizen (and not in the name of the various groups he heads):

Political action groups carefully choose whom they will support, because they know the message that their contributions convey. Voters in this year’s US Senate race in Pennsylvania need to know that the campaign of Bob Casey Jr. has received donations from MoveOn.org, the Human Rights Campaign, George Soros, and the political action committee of Hillary Clinton.

Any attempt to portray this candidate as pro-life, or supportive of traditional values, collapses in the face of this simple fact. You know a candidate by the company he keeps more than by the things he says.”