Scalise Addresses Controversy: ‘I Reject Bigotry of All Forms’
At a Wednesday news conference, embattled Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) addressed the controversy surrounding whether he spoke at a meeting of white supremacists in 2002.
“I reject bigotry of all forms, and I think when you see the people that know me best, both here and especially back home, people I’ve served with, including people that I’ve been on opposite ends politically with, who know the truth and know what’s in my heart,” Scalise said. “They’re the ones who, I think, speak the best.”
Scalise, the House Majority Whip, was referring to Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.), who said Scalise does not have a “racist bone” in his body.
House Speaker John Boehner was also asked about Scalise, and again stood by him.
“I think Mr. Scalise made it clear that he made an error in judgment — spoke to a group, not clear who they actually were,” he said. “Now, I know this man. I work with him. I know what’s in his heart. He’s a decent, honest person who made a mistake. We all make mistakes.”
RELATED: CNN’s Smerconish Confronts David Duke over Scalise: Was He There or Not?
Last month, Scalise admitted to speaking at a meeting of the European-American Unity and Rights Organization (EURO), a group founded by former Ku Klux Klan grand wizard David Duke. But shortly after the confession, a report emerged that suggested Scalise might have never actually spoken to EURO. Since then, everyone from White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest to Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wy.), former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Rep. Mia Love (R-Utah), Fox News host Greta van Sustern, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, and a plethora of others have weighed in.
Watch the video below, via C-SPAN:
[Image via screengrab]
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