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WEST VIRGINIA RECORD

Monday, March 18, 2024

Reynolds campaign calls out former AG staffer for racist video

Election2016

HUNTINGTON – The campaign spokeswoman for Doug Reynolds has condemned comments made by a former member of Attorney General Patrick Morrisey’s staff.

In a video originally posted in 2012 on YouTube, Carrie Bowe recited slogans of white supremacists for the video called “Stop White Genocide.” In the video, Bowe repeatedly says, “Anti-racist is a code word for anti-white.” That phrase often is attributed to white supremacist Bob Whitaker.

The video came to light Aug. 25 after a story about it appeared in the Charleston Gazette-Mail. Later on Aug. 25, Morrisey spokesman Curtis Johnson issued a statement saying Bowe no longer works for the office.

“The comments by Ms. Bowe are not only disheartening but disgraceful,” Reynolds campaign spokeswoman Lynette Maselli said Aug. 25. “There is no place in our state for such hate.

“However, after repeatedly witnessing such contemptible behavior from our attorney general I’m unfortunately not surprised such a person would serve as an extension of his office.”

Maselli said the AG is “the state’s top civil rights law enforcement officer.”

“Instead, he’s condoning this deplorable behavior and rewarding Ms. Bowe with a leadership position in his office,” she said prior to the AG statement saying Bowe no longer worked for the office. “This is an embarrassment to the State of West Virginia!”

Johnson issued a two-sentence statement about Bowe.

“The employee in question is no longer a member of this office,” he said in a press release. “The employee’s conduct and statements, which occurred years before being employed by the Attorney General’s office, were not previously disclosed until today, which is contrary to the transparency requirements for being a member of this office, do not reflect the opinion or the perspective of the Attorney General or this office.”

Maselli said the state should expect more from its attorney general.

“First, he put his political operative on the state payroll, and now a white supremacist works in his communications department,” she said. “This is completely unethical and an inexcusable breach of public trust. His continued, offensive behavior is unacceptable, and it’s time to give West Virginians an attorney general they can trust and believe in.

“West Virginia needs an ethical Attorney General who looks out for the best interests of all West Virginians.”

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