One of the House’s most notorious bigots, North Carolina Rep. Cass Ballenger (R), is being sued for defamation by a Muslim civil rights group the lawmaker accused of having terrorist ties.
Ballenger and his wife had been living across the street from the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). When the lawmaker’s marriage fell apart, he publicly blamed CAIR, arguing that his family’s proximity to the group caused the Ballengers so much stress that it is responsible, in part, for his pending divorce.
In October, Ballenger said that he and his wife would look out the window at CAIR’s offices and become anxious about what he described as women “wearing hoods.” He added that his home is less than three blocks from the Capitol and he was concerned that the Muslims at CAIR “could blow the place up.”
More importantly, Ballenger told the Charlotte Observer that CAIR was a “fund-raising arm” for terrorist groups, though he had no evidence to bolster his outrageous claim.
While many, including me, found Ballenger’s remarks to be almost amusing in their idiocy, CAIR is arguing that having a sitting member of Congress levy such scandalous charges against their group has damaged the organization’s reputation. The council is seeking $2 million in damages.
“This sends a message that if you make unlawful, disparaging remarks, we will hold you accountable,” Arsalan Iftikhar, CAIR’s director of legal affairs said.
I don’t know if this suit will go anywhere, but I’m glad to see CAIR standing up to Ballenger. Lawsuits like these can be expensive and embarrassing, and frankly, Ballenger deserves it.
In fact, let’s not forget that the anti-Islamic comments against CAIR were by no means Ballenger’s first ugly, racist remarks to be published on the record. This is the same lawmaker admitting to having “segregationist feelings” against African Americans after working alongside an African-American congresswoman whom he disliked.
And as the Washington Post reminded me today, Ballenger also faced criticism after refusing to remove a statuette of a black-faced lawn jockey from the front yard of his North Carolina home.
Fortunately, Ballenger is retiring from Congress next year. I won’t miss him.