Constituents Protest, Petition Bannon/Zeldin Fundraiser

SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY — Infuriated residents united Monday to protest news that former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, the executive chairman of the right-wing Breitbart News Network site, will be headlining a fundraiser for Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-Shirley, in New York City.

Since hearing about Bannon's participation, local residents have been incensed. The fundraiser is expected to take place in midtown Thursday.

Activists and residents have planned coordinated actions before the fundraisers, including a protest that took place Monday afternoon in front of Zeldin's Patchogue office, with more than 150 turning out in solidarity to speak out against the alliance.

A petition launched by Jewish social justice organization Bend the Arc, in collaboration with several activist groups, has so far garnered 5,218 signatures.

"As a member of Trump’s inner circle and executive chairman of Breitbart, Steve Bannon proudly foments hatred against immigrants, Muslims, people of color, women, the poor, and Jews. His platform and strategy empowered the white supremacists who violently took to the streets in Charlottesville," the petition reads. "Now, no longer in the White House, Bannon is setting his sights on Congress with a plan to elect extremists who support Trump and a white supremacist agenda. By hosting Bannon, Congressman Zeldin is declaring that he wants to be part of that plan, too."

A media representative for Zeldin responded: "“Congressman Zeldin always welcomes substantive and productive dialogue from all of his constituents. Unfortunately, this is not that. It’s rich that these and other individuals who signed a petition condemning bigotry and hate have spewed some of the most vile things I’ve ever heard. Congressman Zeldin does not subscribe to the extreme intolerance of these protesters."

She added that Zeldin has received threats on social media, and sent examples of some of those threats, some shooting related. "Die before we oust you," one man wrote on social media.

Added another, "Maybe some crazy b------ will shoot him. We can only hope."

"This guy should be shot," a Sag Harbor woman wrote.

Finally, a woman posed with children and wrote, "Can't wait for you to salute their being marched off to gas chambers. Zeldin = #capo."

To read the full petition, click here.

According to New York First Congressional District resident Amy Turner, "Zeldin says he represents the needs of our diverse district, yet he is willing to align himself with Bannon’s white supremacist agenda. We will not allow him to infect our district and the city of New York with his message of hate.”

Rabbi Jan Uhrbach, rabbi of a congregation in Lee Zeldin’s district, added, “I’m sickened that Zeldin is aligning himself with Bannon and the divisiveness and bigotry he fuels. During the high holiday season, I stood in the wind and rain outside Lee Zeldin’s office alongside Jews and allies to blast the shofar. I said these words to Zeldin: ‘You cannot include Nazis and White Supremacists as part of your coalition and not be complicit in their hate and violence. It’s that simple.’”

The fundraiser is expected to take place in midtown and be co-hosted by Arthur Schwartz and Wayne Berman.

Bend the Arc Jewish Action organizer Kayla Glick spoke out, "Steve Bannon proudly provides a platform for a white nationalism that frequently demonizes people of color, Jews, and other minorities," she said.

As chief strategist to President Trump, she said, Bannon helped develop policies, such as the Muslim ban, that target and marginalize millions of people in the United States. That's why, she added, Bend the Arc Jewish Action coordinated protests and petitions that pushed for his removal from the administration.

"It is deeply disturbing that Rep. Zeldin would ally himself with this enemy of our community and its values," Glick said.

She added that, as one of only two Jewish Republicans in Congress, "Rep. Zeldin has a unique opportunity to represent Jewish values on the national stage. He is squandering it for short-term political gain. As his constituents, we will continue to hold him accountable for these failures of leadership and demand he choose a side against white nationalism and the radical policies of this administration."

Locally, Eileen Duffy, one of the organizers of the closed Facebook group, Let's Visit Lee Zeldin, offered her thoughts on the upcoming fundraiser.

"The membership of Let's Visit Lee Zeldin has, in no uncertain terms, reacted with horror to the news that Rep. Zeldin is using an unprincipled man, who publishes the ravings of white supremacists for political gain, to raise money. However, it's not surprising; both are supported and funded by cultural reactionaries and dark money specialists Robert and Rebekah Mercer. We do not want Steve Bannon to have anything to do with the governance of NY01."

Zeldin has defended Bannon in the past.

"Steve Bannon, especially what we've seen since last year's campaign, is getting a really bad rap, characterizing him as a racist," Zeldin said in August, according to a report in The Hill.

With Bannon taking on the GOP, declaring proverbial war on the establishment and apparently putting together a nationwide ticket, some have asked whether Bannon — whose appearance at the Zeldin fundraiser will be his first for any sitting House Republican, according to Newsday — might have been an attempt to buy Zeldin's vote on the tax bill.

"That couldn't possibly be any further from the truth," Zeldin's media representative told Patch.

Photos by Amy Turner