Ex-KKK leader David Duke says he plans to run for US Senate

[Brickbat]

Source: USA Today

Former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke says he plans to run for U.S. Senate in Louisiana.

Duke's announcement came Friday on his website.

A registered Republican, he would be seeking an open seat vacated by Republican David Vitter.

Duke's announcement comes as Louisiana is grappling with deep racial tensions after the shooting death of a black man by white police officers and the killing of three law enforcement officers by a black man.

Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2016/07/22/david-duke-senate-run/87437334/

[heaven05]

1. figures

this character would come from under his dung heap, again.

[Mc Mike]

2. Surprising to see that he's running as a Repug. Quite startling, cuz they hate race baiting. rec nt

[olddad56]

3. maybe Trump will appoint him secretary of state.

[rurallib]

4. looks like 21 running so far - yeesh

[TlalocW]

5. He sees an opportunity

I'm sure he's not looking at anything supportive of BLM, but everyone on his Facebook is posting things for cops or talking negatively about, "those (black) people," and he thinks the environment is just right for him and his racism.

TlalocW

[Iggo]

6. Perfect time for it. We've got a presidential candidate who can't say whether the KKK's good or bad.

And on a side note, I don't think I'd ever want to sit in a seat that David Vitter just vacated.

Know'm say'n?

[shenmue]

7. I announce plans to wipe with his picture

[Sunlei]

8. He's still stuck somewhere in Europe, kicked out of several countries for hate speak. undocumented?

probably on the no fly list. Hes just a hate speaker man, perhaps putin or trump have a place for him. Europe will be happy to be rid of him.

[IronLionZion]

9. Dude came too close for comfort in a governor's election

Louisiana elections tend to have lots of candidates and then a runoff election of the top 2.

So if he consolidates the racist vote enough to get into the runoff, then a halfway decent Democrat should be able to win the senate seat.

I'm sure the national repub party would probably disavow like when Poppy Bush disavowed him before.

It would be something if Trump didn't say anything about it.

[NWCorona]

13. Your post brought back memories. He came too close!

And I'm afraid Trump might have primed the waters a bit in his favor.

[greymattermom]

10. Do, will Donald endorse?

this could be interesting.

[JudyM]

12. How could he. He claims not to know if he knows him.

[No Vested Interest]

11. Bring it. nt

[csziggy]

14. He's probably just in it to pay off gambling debts - he did it before

Tax fraud conviction

On December 12, 2002, David Duke pleaded guilty to the felony charge of filing a false tax return under 26 U.S.C. § 7206 and mail fraud under 18 U.S.C. § 1341[5] According to The New York Times: "Mr. Duke was accused of telling supporters that he was in financial straits, then misusing the money they sent him from 1993 to 1999. He was also accused of filing a false 1998 tax return.... Mr. Duke used the money for personal investments and gambling trips.... [T]he [supporter] contributions were as small as $5 and [according to the United States attorney, Jim Letten] there were so many that returning the money would be 'unwieldy.'"[155]

Four months later, Duke was sentenced to 15 months in prison, and he served the time in Big Spring, Texas. He was also fined US$10,000, ordered to cooperate with the Internal Revenue Service, and to pay money still owed for his 1998 taxes. Following his release in May 2004, he stated that his decision to take the plea bargain was motivated by the bias that he perceived in the United States federal court system and not his guilt. He said he felt the charges were contrived to derail his political career and discredit him to his followers, and that he took the safe route by pleading guilty and receiving a mitigated sentence, rather than pleading not guilty and potentially receiving the full sentence.

The mail fraud charges stemmed from what prosecutors described as a six-year scheme to dupe thousands of his followers by asking for donations. Using the postal service, Duke appealed to his supporters for funds by fraudulently stating he was about to lose his house and his life savings. Prosecutors alleged that Duke raised hundreds of thousands of dollars in this scheme. Prosecutors also stipulated that in contrast to what he stated in the mailings, he sold his home at a hefty profit, had multiple investment accounts, and spent much of his money gambling at casinos.[156][157][158]

The Smoking Gun posted the entire file of court documents related to this case at its website, including details on Duke's guilty pleas.[159]

Duke supporter Don Black claims that Duke was targeted by the government to discredit him.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Duke#Tax_fraud_conviction