Page 4 - ARUBA TODAY

A4 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 24 July 2018
Georgia lawmaker uses racial slur, drops pants in TV series

ATLANTA (AP) — A Georgia any reckoning for Spencer from office. He also said he
lawmaker is the latest pub- at the ballot box this year. has received death threats
lic figure caught with his A Republican challenger in the past and thought the
pants down on provoca- already defeated the law- techniques in the Showtime
teur Sacha Baron Cohen's maker in Georgia's May 22 segment would prevent
new cable TV series, this primary. "what I believed was an in-
time literally, as the state The Georgia legislator has evitable attack."
legislator exposes his bot- been accused in the past The Atlanta newspaper re-
tom, speaks with a mock of making offensive state- ported Spencer had earlier
Asian accent and yells a ments and proposals. In threatened legal action to
racial slur all in the name of 2016, Spencer sought to prevent the network from
fighting terrorism. update a 1951 state law airing footage of him.
In Sunday night's broadcast that outlawed Ku Klux Klan The Islamic Council on
of Cohen's Showtime series members from wearing American-Islamic Relations
"Who Is America?" Cohen hoods at public rallies. Civil also called for Spencer's
poses as an Israeli military rights and Muslim advoca- resignation.
expert who persuades Re- cy groups called Spencer's "The ignorance and mal-
publican Rep. Jason Spen- bill a veiled attempt to ban ice behind Islamophobia
cer to take part in several Muslim women from wear- has led Mr. Spencer to not
outlandish exercises. The ing religious headgear that only pursue bad policy,
lawmaker is told they're covers their faces in pub- but engage in humiliating
making a counterterrorism lic. He quickly dropped the and hateful behavior un-
video. In this Feb. 28, 2018 photo, Rep. Jason Spencer, of Woodbine, proposal. becoming of anyone — es-
Spencer repeatedly shouts speaks at the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta. Spencer isn't the first public pecially a state legislator,"
a racial slur for black peo- Associated Press figure to be fooled by Co- said Edward Ahmed Mitch-
ple after Cohen tells him hen in his Showtime series. ell, director of the group's
the tactic is useful for draw- The segment also shows Ralston said Spencer "dis- Former Republican vice Georgia chapter.
ing bystanders' attention to Spencer speaking with a graced himself and should presidential candidate Sar- Spencer faced calls for his
an unfolding attack. mock Asian accent while resign immediately," The At- ah Palin , Democratic Sen. resignation last year after
He also drops his pants, pretending to use a selfie- lanta Journal-Constitution Bernie Sanders and former he warned a black former
then his underwear, before stick to surreptitiously insert reported. Arizona sheriff and U.S. Sen- state legislator that she
backing his exposed rear a camera phone under a GOP Gov. Nathan Deal ate candidate Joe Arpaio won't be "met with torches
end toward Cohen while Muslim woman's burqa. said in a tweet: "There is no have also been duped. but something a lot more
shouting "USA!" and "Amer- Spencer's on-camera excuse for this type of be- In a statement Monday, definitive" if she continued
ica!" Cohen told Spencer conduct horrified fellow havior, ever, and I am sad- Spencer apologized for the to call for the removal of
the move would incite fear Republicans in Georgia. dened and disgusted by it." "ridiculously ugly episode," Confederate statues in
in homophobic jihadists. State House Speaker David Regardless, there won't be but he refused to step down southern Georgia.q

Judge postpones Paul

Manafort trial until next week

from a firm that handled Manafort has pleaded not the Trump campaign as
Manafort's bookkeeping guilty and denied all the well as his ties to former
and the electronic devices charges. He faces a sepa- Ukrainian President Viktor
of Rick Gates, his longtime rate trial in the District of Yanukovych.
business associate. Gates Columbia, where he was Prosecutor Greg Andres
pleaded guilty earlier this indicted last October. told Ellis that Manafort's
year and is expected to In addition to pushing the position in the Trump cam-
testify against Manafort. trial back, Ellis on Monday paign is relevant to some
Manafort's trial will be the approved and unsealed of the bank fraud charges
Kevin Downing, attorney for Paul Manafort, walks towards the first arising from Mueller's requests from Mueller's because a chairman of
Alexandria Federal Courthouse in Alexandria, Va., Monday, investigation into potential prosecutors to offer immu- one of the banks allowed
July 23, 2018, for a hearing on the final motions ahead of the
upcoming bank and tax fraud trial for President Donald Trump's coordination between the nity to five witnesses in ex- Manafort to file inaccu-
former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort. Trump campaign and Rus- change for their testimony. rate loan information in
Associated Press sia during the 2016 presi- Prosecutors had asked exchange for a job on the
dential election. for the information to be campaign and the promise
By CHAD DAY ginia. The indictment against sealed unless and until the of a job in the Trump ad-
Associated Press But U.S. District Judge Manafort doesn't focus witnesses actually testified. ministration.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A T.S. Ellis III pushed the trial on his work on the Trump The immunity offers mean Andres did not name the
federal judge on Mon- back until July 31 to give campaign or accuse him prosecutors will not use bank employee but noted
day postponed the trial of Manafort's lawyers more of being involved in elec- the witnesses' statements that the Trump administra-
former Trump campaign time to review thousands of tion interference. Instead, against them in any crimi- tion position never materi-
chairman Paul Manafort pages of data and docu- it accuses him of funneling nal case. alized.
until next week. ments turned over by spe- the proceeds of Ukrainian Prosecutors also disclosed Jury selection in the case is
The tax and bank fraud cial counsel Robert Muel- political consulting work that they will be present- set to begin next week, a
trial had been scheduled ler's office in the last several through offshore accounts ing a limited amount process Ellis said he would
to start Wednesday in fed- weeks. and using the funds to pay of evidence regarding be keeping tight control
eral court in Alexandria, Vir- The documents come for a lavish lifestyle. Manafort's connection to over.q