Politics

WaPo Gives Ellison ‘Four Pinocchios’ For Lying About Farrakhan Relationship

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The Washington Post’s fact checker has awarded Democratic Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison “Four Pinocchios” for claiming that his relationship with Nation of Islam Minister Louis Farrakhan ended before he entered Congress.

The Post’s Glenn Kessler cited The Daily Caller’s reporting in the fact check, which hammered Ellison for misleading about his relationship with Farrakhan, a notorious racist and anti-Semite. “Four Pinocchios” is the Post’s worst possible rating, reserved for “whoppers.”

Ellison, a former Nation of Islam member, claimed when he ran for office in 2006 that he had left Farrakhan in his past, but the facts suggest otherwise.

Ellison attended three meetings with Farrakhan while in Congress, as TheDC previously reported.

One of those meetings included a private visit to Farrakhan’s hotel room with Democratic Indiana Rep. Andre Carson. Ellison and two other congressmen also attended a private dinner, hosted by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, where Farrakhan was also in attendance.

“[Ellison] cannot claim to have ‘disavowed’ Farrakhan more than a decade ago while moving the same circles and apparently having a friendly chat behind closed doors,” Kessler concluded.

“Carson at least acknowledged he met with Farrakhan to discuss issues related to community concerns. Ellison is trying to have it both ways, publicly distancing himself while privately doing something else. He earns Four Pinocchios for suggesting his interactions with Farrakhan ended in 2006.”

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