A fundraising email sent out by a candidate running for New York City’s City Council has sparked controversy amid accusations of anti-Semitism and racial incitement.
The man at the center of the controversy, Thomas Lopez-Pierre, denies claims his campaign’s rhetoric is anti-Semitic, prominently featuring a 2014 article on his website entitled “Fighting Jewish Slumlords Isn’t Anti-Semitic”.
Lopez-Pierre is running for the 7th district seat in the NYC City Council, challenging incumbent and fellow Democrat Mark Levine.
The district, which includes parts of Harlem, is largely African American and Hispanic, and Lopez-Pierre has appealed to tensions over race and religion in his effort to unseat the Jewish incumbent.
Lopez-Pierre has repeatedly cited “greedy Jews” in his campaign, including a fundraising email earlier this month calling on supporters to help “Save Harlem from Greedy Jewish Landlords”.
Fourteen elected officials penned a joint letter condemning Lopez-Pierre’s use of anti-Semitic imagery in his campaign.
“Your repeated references to ‘greedy Jewish landlords’ in your most recent email play on a long-established anti-Semitic trope,” the letter read in part.
“Your reference to your opponent as the ‘only Jewish candidate in the race’ and frequent depiction of him in religious garb amount to gratuitous targeting of him based on religion.”
“Your divisive efforts have no place in our political culture.”
“We call on you to cease this deplorable behavior at once.”
In the past Lopez-Pierre drew criticism for his treatment of a state Assemblywoman, whom he allegedly groped. After her allegations, Lopez-Pierre derided her as a “political slut”.