FACT CHECK: Peter King Incorrectly Claims There Were No Neo-Nazi Terror Plots In The Past Two Years
At the start of today’s Islamophobic hearings, Rep. Peter King (R-NY) attempted to justify singling out the Muslim American community while disregarding terrorism that is emanating from other communities. In his opening statement, he claimed that over the past two years, there have not been any terrorist plots by neo-Nazi groups:
KING: There is no equivalency of threat between Al Qaeda and neo-Nazis, environmental extremists, and other isolated madmen. [...] Indeed, by the Justice Department’s own record, not one terror-related case in the last two years involved neo-Nazis, environmental extremists, or anti-war groups.
Watch it:
King’s statement would be a surprise to the residents of Fall River, Massachussetts. This past December, Justin Vieira, who hung a Nazi flag in his room and engaged in white racist rhetoric, “broke a natural gas line and threatened to blow up a three-decker” and was arrested after a multiple-hour standoff with police officers:
Justin Vieira, 29, of 101 Bogle St., also is accused of threatening neighbors with a rifle. [...] Vieira is charged with kidnapping, assault with a dangerous weapon, bomb threat, disturbing the peace while armed, assault and battery and resisting arrest. [...] Lt. David A. Gouveia said officers Jon Rose, James Donovan and Sgt. Roger Lafleur responded to the area of 101 Bogle St. at about 12:40 a.m. for a report of a man wearing camouflage clothing and waving a rifle. “The male was involved in a domestic incident with his girlfriend and was now threatening neighbors with the rifle,” Gouveia said. [...] “Vieira hung a Nazi flag out the window, started barricading the doors, shouted ‘Heil Hitler’ and turned off the lights,” Gouveia said.
Veiera’s threatened terror plot joins those by four other Neo-Nazis or Neo-Nazi sympathizers since September 2009. As ThinkProgress previously reported, there have actually been twice as many terror plots by non-muslim terrorists like white supremacists and anti-government extremists since 9/11.
