Exec. Dir. of Tancredo's PAC Pleads Guilty to Karate-Chopping Black Woman, calling her a "N****r"

[SemiCharmedQuark]

From the Washington Independent:

For years, conservative writer and activist Marcus Epstein has worked with the mainstream of the immigration restrictionist movement. He wrote speeches for former Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.) during his presidential bid, and he’s still working as the executive director of Tancredo’s Team America PAC, alongside Bay Buchanan. Epstein has been targeted for years by civil rights groups like the Southern Poverty Law Center and the One People’s Project, who have obtained Epstein’s guilty plea to a hate crime he committed two years ago.

From the U.S. Attorney’s factual proffer:

On July 7, 2007, at approximately 7:15 p.m. at Jefferson and M Street, Northwest, in Washington, D.C., defendant was walking down the street making offensive remarks when he encountered the complainant, Ms. , who is African-American. The defendant uttered, “Nigger,” as he delivered a karate chop to Ms. ’s head.

Epstein has pled guilty and will be sentenced on July 8, although he changed his plea to water down an admission of guilt into the belief that “the government could prove me guilty.” A spokesman for Team America PAC confirmed that Epstein is still at work until he leaves for law school in the fall, and an official statement is forthcoming.

http://washingtonindependent.com/45075/tom-tancredo-and-the-n-word

And Bay Buchanan stands behind this asshole (Who is headed to a law school in VA). I wonder what Tancredo thinks of him...

http://washingtonindependent.com/45118/bay-buchanan-responds-to-tancredo-speechwriter-scandal

[Enrique]

1. if Tancredo thinks Sotomayer is in the "Latino KKK"

I wonder which KKK Epstein would be in.

[11 Bravo]

2. Damn, I thought Tancredo only had issues with "spics".

Who could have imagined ... an equal opportunity GOP bigot.

[MADem]

3. Gee, ya can't make this shit up, can ya? How.... astounding. And not in a good way. nt

[anonymous171]

4. A karate chop? Seriously?

:crazy:

[noiretextatique]

5. he's lucky he didn't run into me

i would have kicked his punk ass.

[hfojvt]

6. doesn't that strike anybody as a strange crime?

The US attorney's statement does not make any sense. He was walking down the street making offensive remarks. In what context? Was he talking to somebody that he was walking with? What was he saying that was offensive? And how does the Government get to judge speech 'offensive'? Would it be offensive for me to walk down the street complaining about Cheney? It would to some people. Would it be offensive for me to walk down the street talking about how much I hate the Yankees? What if I was talking about how so many Christians are religiously insane?

What is offensive and who gets to judge it?

Also why does anybody just walk up to somebody, call them a name, or racial slur, and hit them? The report says nothing about a motive or extenuating circumstances. I think I can piece together something that likely happened. This woman who was struck did not like what he was saying. So she confronted him in some manner. But no objective account of the confrontation is given only that it included the n-word and a 'karate chop'.

I have no way to judge it, except that the law took her side. Do I always agree with what the law does? Nor does the fact that he gave in really prove anything. Many people do not have the resources to fight and will just accept a settlement that probably includes just a fine and maybe some community service. Maybe a law was against him. It does not mean that it is a just law.

Anyway, his friends have probably gotten his side of the story, which probably puts him in the best light or he writes it off as an unusual incident where he was provoked, inebriated, or lost his temper, etc. Bay Buchanan, however I may feel about her, at least has more details of the incident than that offered in the "factual proffer" which leaves out facts and offers unsupported judgements. That this is called a 'hate crime' based on his statements rather than his actions makes me kinda wary. Is there gonna be a severe penalty for a relatively minor incident?

[NorthernSpy]

8. Epstein was arrested by a Secret Service agent who witnessed the attack.

It wasn't just the victim's word against Epstein's.

Also why does anybody just walk up to somebody, call them a name, or racial slur, and hit them? The report says nothing about a motive or extenuating circumstances.

Why, indeed.

Epstein had been drinking. In fact, this assault was not his first offense. He appears to have a problem with alcohol. In addition to just being an asshole.

I think I can piece together something that likely happened. This woman who was struck did not like what he was saying. So she confronted him in some manner. But no objective account of the confrontation is given only that it included the n-word and a 'karate chop'

No, actually, you can't "piece together what happened" by inventing your own version of events. The arresting officer was there on the scene when the incident took place.

A drunk and disorderly person who is spewing fighting words at passersby, and then attacks someone, is not innocent. And a person who tells him to shut up (if indeed the victim said anything to him at all) and who then gets physically attacked is not guilty -- in spite of your pathetically obvious desire to shove the blame off onto her.

Is there gonna be a severe penalty for a relatively minor incident?

Epstein will appear for formal sentencing in July. He will face up to 180 days in jail and a fine of $1,000. He must remain at a distance from the victim, and must complete an alcohol treatment program. Additionally, he has agreed to write an apology, and to make a donation to the UNCF. No doubt you will whimper at these the "harsh" consequences of committing just one little incident of racially-motivated battery.

Oh, and due to his failure to disclose his legal troubles on his application form, Epstein's admittance to the University of Virginia School of Law has been revoked, and school officials say that he will not be admitted to the school either now or in the future. And he has no one but himself to blame for that, or for any of it.

[hfojvt]

13. No doubt I will whimper

Now who is making stuff up?

"No, actually, you can't "piece together what happened" by inventing your own version of events. The arresting officer was there on the scene when the incident took place."

Since all I had was what the US attorney wrote. The arresting officer was there, then why not describe the incident better?

Do you then have a link showing that he was "spewing fighting words at passersby" or is that your own speculation? I think anyone here should either have, or ask for, more informaton before they pile on.

The only reason I speculated about a confrontation was because the attorney started out with Epstein's "offensive remarks". If there was no confrontation, then why are those relevant?

[vadawg]

20. yup it seemed to be lacking in what actually happened though dude may be just crazy.

[MrScorpio]

14. Maybe he wasn't happy having to live in Chocolate City

You know, all those pesky black people openly walking in the streets?

[hfojvt]

16. sadly, my aunt made that comment about DC once

although mom said she backed away from it, having made some black friends at AA.

[marmar]

12. The Forces of Racism Denial are strong with this one.....

:eyes:

[hfojvt]

15. racism denial? I didn't think I said anything about racism.

Where did I deny any racism? Just thought the attorney's summary didn't make any sense.

[BlooInBloo]

21. Yup. That's the primary way it perpetuates itself.

[dionysus]

19. he was wasted, staggering down the street

[Raineyb]

22. What motive does he need? He's a bigot.

He plead guilty nearly 2 years ago. It's not a fiction that it happened. It's just that someone uncovered it recently.

Bay Buchanan is a bigot just like her despicable brother so for her to bend over backwards to try to downplay Epstein's bigotry is no big surprise.

Why are you doing it?

[underpants]

7. TANCREDO 2012!!!

Please please please run Tom

[salin]

9. TPM writes that he is no longer headed to UVA law school

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/06/university-of-virginia-epstein-will-not-enroll-with-us.php?ref=fpblg

Lying on such applications can be problematic, it would appear.

[cali]

10. good. I hope the little asswipe is well and thoroughly fucked

[salin]

11. he is "connected" he will land some cush job

with some conservative organization, and end up at the likes of Regents U., or if he lets enough time pass by some place more legit outside of evangelical circles.

Arrgh (may I be wrong)!!

[izzybeans]

17. Interesting nugget: Tancredo named his PAC Team America

Fuck yeah!

What is he the world police?

It sounds to me like Marcus Epstein lives in a bubble and thinks, along with Bay Buchanan, that irrational assaults on innocent women are just peachy, so long as the women is black.

[Starry Messenger]

18. Holy shit.

He's probably one of those assholes who has been prefacing his remarks on immigration restriction with "I'm not a racist, but..." for years. They usually out themselves eventually. That poor woman. What a horrible attack.

[alfredo]

23. His images from his trip to Ethiopia. Read the captions

Some are very offensive.

You might need an account to access them.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2022327&id=7602997