Another Xenophobic, Racist GOP Scam— This One In The Hudson Valley

Republican members of Congress from New York, like Marc Molinaro and Brandon Williams, have been fear-mongering in their districts about immigrants, warning they “are being bussed Upstate in the dead of night” and that “progressives are trying to export the migrant crisis into Central New York.” Last week, the NY Post screamed Homeless vets are being booted from NY hotels to make room for migrants. The Post and other right wing media outlets and Republican politicians have been spreading the word: “Nearly two dozen struggling homeless veterans have been booted from upstate hotels to make room for migrants” It’s been one of Fox News’ top stories all week. Problem is that it’s another complete Republican fabrication.

The primary perps are Orange County Chamber of Commerce President Heather Bell-Meyer and the CEO of a shady veterans nonprofit— the Yerik Israel Toney Foundation— in Orange County, NY, Sharon Toney-Finch, who “recruited 15 men from a Poughkeepsie homeless shelter to pose as her displaced veterans, coached them on what to say, and promised to pay them for their time.” The Mid-Hudson News reported on Friday that “Seven homeless men have come forward to say they were part of a group of men recruited at a Poughkeepsie homeless shelter to act as veterans that had been displaced from a Newburgh hotel in order for a non-profit organization to perpetrate a fraud on the public. The men told Mid-Hudson News on Thursday night that they were part of a group of 15 men that were supposed to pretend they were veterans that had been kicked out of the Crossroads Hotel in the Town of Newburgh, last Friday, in advance of the arrival of migrants brought up from New York City.

A local MAGAt, frothing racist Assemblyman Brian Maher (R) fanned the flames to grab headlines and raise money. “The foundation and its director, Sharon Toney-Finch, appear to have fabricated the entire story, causing Maher to admit yesterday that he had been duped by Finch and her lies.” Toney-Finch is now under investigation by New York’s attorney general for falsely claiming she had received a Purple Heart in Iraq and falsely claiming that homeless vets had been displaced by migrants, “spurring a national outcry and potentially leading to significant donations for her organization.”

On Friday, the DCCC sent out several press releases talking about their efforts to tie “hypocritical New York Republicans” to George Santos. One reads: “Today, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee launched a digital ad campaign targeting increasingly vulnerable Republicans Mike Lawler and Brandon Williams, who both voted to shield indicted criminal George Santos in Congress, despite the fact they’ve both admitted that Santos should not remain in Congress… ‘Mike Lawler and Brandon Williams have proven they are too weak to buck party leadership. Instead of expelling serial grifter and indicted criminal George Santos from Congress, they voted to protect him. New Yorkers deserve better than hypocritical representatives who put party over people, and the DCCC will continue to hold them accountable.’” The other reads: “Today, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee launched a new digital ad campaign targeting increasingly vulnerable Republicans Nick LaLota, Anthony D’Esposito, and Marc Molinaro, who all voted to shield indicted criminal George Santos in Congress, despite the fact they’ve each said they support Santos’ expulsion… ‘Nick LaLota, Anthony D’Esposito, and Marc Molinaro have all proven they are too weak to buck party leadership. Instead of following through on their word and expelling serial grifter and indicted criminal George Santos from Congress, they voted to protect him. New Yorkers deserve better than hypocritical representatives who put party over people, and the DCCC will continue to hold them accountable.’”

Similar press releases (and ad campaigns) have been launched against:

• Anna Pauline Luna (R-FL)

• Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL)

• Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA)

• Zach Nunn (R-IA)

• Tom Kean (R-NJ)

• Jen Kiggans (R-VA)

• David Valadeo (R-CA)

• Kevin Kiley (R-CA)

• John Duarte (R-CA)

• Mike Garcia (R-CA)

• Young Kim (R-CA)

• Michelle Steel (R-CA)

• Ken Calvert (R-CA)

• Monica De La Cruz (R-TX)

• Lori Chavez DeRemer (R-OR)

• Lauren Boebert (R-CO)

• Ryan Zinke (R-MT)

• David Schweikert (R-AZ)

• Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ)

• Don Bacon (R-NE)

• Bryan Steil (R-WI)

• Derrick Van Orden (R-WI)

• Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA)

• Scott Perry (R-PA)

• John James (R-MI)

This campaign comes the day after the DCCC launched a website delineating what programs in their states and districts these electorally vulnerable Republican incumbents are damaging by their vote for the Freedom Caucus-inspired default bill. Presumably, these are the Republicans the DCCC is planning to target-- at least in theory-- next year. A couple of examples: