Submitted by Ali Ghiorse, Greenwich
I will try to make this short. Rep Kim Fiorello claims to “stand” with law enforcement. Yet, on August 9th of this year, she posted a message to her supporters on Instagram. This was Primary Election Day, and also the day after the FBI, the nation’s top law enforcement organization, paid a visit to the home of former President Trump (Mar-a-Lago) in Florida. The visit was not a “raid” and it was lawful.
Ms Fiorello felt otherwise.
In her Instagram post, she can be heard repeatedly referring to the FBI as having “raided” Mar-a-Lago. She mentions that crowds have been steady at the polls specifically because of the “raid”. She then goes on to make this very disturbing statement:
“We have to secure this Republic. We have to protect what this country was founded on. There are things happening now that are simply unacceptable and truly un-American.”
It is clear that what she is referring to was specifically the FBI operation at Mar-a-Lago. It has been clear from the start that the FBI had a search and seizure warrant that was above board. It has also been clear from the start that the FBI agents who participated in the search conducted themselves in a professional manner, did their job to the letter of the law and left.
Somehow, Kim Fiorello disagrees. Her comments clearly accuse the FBI, the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency, of “unacceptable” and “un-American” activities. One needs to look no further than Steve Bannon, the architect of the national strategy to overtake the Republican Party from the inside out. Here is what he said about the FBI search of the former President’s home:
“We need a full investigation, cutting off appropriations to the FBI to get to the bottom of this, okay? This is going to continue on. The FBI right now is the Gestapo. The FBI is the Gestapo, whether it’s out in Colorado, putting a gold star mother in chains, Peter Navarro in chains. It’s absolutely obscene. This is insanity. We need to fight fire with fire and the way to do that is to win elections, win them overwhelmingly and then use the appropriations process to choke down the FBI and choke down the Justice Department and get to the bottom of who approved this. This is so outrageous it needs to be investigated.”
He may have given a lengthier reply, but at the core of what he said is exactly what Kim Fiorello said: “We have to secure this Republic. We have to protect what this country was founded on. There are things happening now that are simply unacceptable and truly un-American.”.
This is the language of the far-right. This is the language of extremism. This is Ms Fiorello’s sleight of hand when it comes to law enforcement.
I appeal with great urgency to the voters in Greenwich and Stamford, in the 149th district to not elect Kim Fiorello on November 8th. Please vote for Rachel Khanna.
NOTE: The deadline for submitting letters to the editor regarding the Nov 8, 2022 election is Nov 1 by 12:00 noon.