Peter King

Rep. Peter King Defends Videotaped Raid

Nick R. Martin, Ryan J. Reilly, Michael Lester | March 14, 2012, 1:00PM

Rep. Peter King (R-NY)

Updated: 3:30PM

First it was edited. Then it was scraped from his YouTube account altogether. But on Wednesday, Rep. Peter King said there was nothing wrong with videotaping an action-packed raid he participated in earlier in the week with federal law enforcement in New York.

Following inquiries from TPM, the US Marshals Service on Tuesday said they were investigating whether the video King (R-NY) posted, which showed agents kicking down doors and chasing after a suspect in Brooklyn while he tagged along, violated federal policy.

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Peter King

Rep. Peter King 'Manhunters' Video Sparks U.S. Marshals Probe

Nick R. Martin & Ryan J. Reilly | March 13, 2012, 6:00PM

Updated: March 13, 2012, 9:46 PM

A video posted to the YouTube account of Rep. Peter King (R-NY) has sparked an investigation by the U.S. Marshals Service into why a videographer accompanying the New York Republican was allowed to film inside private residences against a federal policy.

Shortly after noon on Tuesday, a tweet from King's account linked to an eight minute video of a ride-along with a "fugitive task force" including U.S. marshals on Monday. It showed King, the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, joining police as they broke down doors and arrested a suspected fugitive. The video carried the logo of the "Manhunters" reality TV show and featured one of its stars, marshals commander Lenny DePaul.

After TPM made inquiries about the video with King's office, it was marked "private" and no longer available to the public on YouTube. Later, the video was removed from YouTube entirely.

A shorter version, with almost a minute of footage cut out, was posted later in the day, and tweeted from King's account. Clips of an officer kicking in a door, a joke about how King "got" a suspect and an officer describing to King how he kicked someone, perhaps the suspect, off a ladder were cut out.

But even the new video features shots that appear to have been filmed within the confines of a private residence in violation of federal policy.

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Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab

Conservatives Quiet After Saying Civilian System Couldn't Handle Underwear Bomber

Ryan J. Reilly | February 17, 2012, 11:58AM

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the so-called "underwear bomber," was sentenced to life in prison Thursday following his trial in federal court. Two years ago, Republicans insisted trying Abdulmutallab in federal court was a terrible idea.

There was a time when the circumstances surrounding Abdulmutallab's arrest were part of a lengthy national debate about the best way to handle terrorism cases. There were letters, television appearances and press releases calling on the Obama administration to reverse its position and send Abdulmutallab into the military tribunal system due to perceived weaknesses in the civilian court system.

Now that he's locked up for life, it's pretty much radio silence. A search for press releases mentioning Abdulmutallab from members of Congress this week turns up just one, from Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), who said the sentence 'demonstrations that our federal court system is fully capable of bringing terrorist to justice."

Still it's worth revisiting just what critics of the civilian court system predicted. Some examples:

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Osama bin Laden

Peter King Calls For Pentagon And CIA To Investigate White House Connection To Bin Laden Movie

Jillian Rayfield | August 10, 2011, 6:01PM

Rep. Peter King (R-NY)

Rep. Peter King (R-NY) has written a letter to the Defense Department and the CIA requesting that they investigate whether the White House leaked classified information to Hurt Locker filmmaker Kathryn Bigelow about the raid that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden.

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Rupert Murdoch

Peter King Calls For News Corp. Probe Over Allegations About 9/11 Victims

Jillian Rayfield | July 14, 2011, 5:45AM

Rep. Peter King (R-NY)

New York Rep. Peter King (R) has called on the FBI to investigate allegations that journalists working for Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. hacked into the phones of victims of the September 11th attacks.

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Eric Holder

Holder Calls Out Gohmert For 'Grossly Unfair' Statements On CAIR Prosecution

Jillian Rayfield | May 4, 2011, 2:25PM

Attorney General Eric Holder

Attorney General Eric Holder accused Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) of making statements that were "grossly unfair," after Gohmert implied that a U.S. Attorney declined to prosecute the Council On American-Islamic Relations for political gain.

Jim Jacks was the federal prosecutor in the trial over the Holy Land Foundation -- a Muslim charity -- in 2008. A jury convicted five men with ties to the group of providing material support to Hamas. Omar Ahmad, the founder of CAIR, and several other leaders of Islamic groups, were deemed unindicted co-conspirators and never charged.

In April , Rep. Peter King (R-NY) wrote a letter to the DOJ saying that he'd been "reliably informed" that the decision not to prosecute CAIR officials was "usurped by high-ranking officials at Department of Justice" and that prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney's office in Dallas objected.

Jacks, now a U.S. Attorney, told the Dallas Morning News that King was "misinformed. That did not happen."

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CAIR

Right-Wing, Peter King Accuse DOJ Of Dropping CAIR Probe For Political Reasons

Jillian Rayfield | April 19, 2011, 2:11PM

Rep. Peter King (R-NY) and Attorney General Eric Holder

There's a brand-new Muslim conspiracy theory in town.

Rep. Peter King (R-NY), who chairs the House Homeland Security Committee, has sent a letter to the Department of Justice demanding that it explain a report that they dropped a probe of suspected terrorism ties among Council On American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) officials. "It raises the most serious question for the Justice Department to decline to even attempt to prosecute individuals and organizations, accused by a US Attorney and found by a federal judge, to have a nexus with fundraising for an organization which conducts terror attacks upon civilians," King wrote in his letter.

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Peter King

New York City Getting Its Own Muslim Radicalization Hearings -- Starring Peter King And Frank Gaffney

Jillian Rayfield | April 7, 2011, 11:40AM

State Sen. Greg Ball (R-NY) with U.S. Rep. Peter King (R-NY) and Frank Gaffney

A New York State Senator is taking a cue from Rep. Peter King (R-NY) and holding hearings on Muslim radicalization on Friday in New York City, featuring testimony by anti-Islam mainstay Frank Gaffney, and even King himself.

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Keith Ellison

Conservatives Mock Ellison For Emotional Testimony On Muslim 9/11 First Responder

Ryan J. Reilly | March 11, 2011, 1:05PM

Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN)

Rep. Keith Ellison's emotional testimony before the House Homeland Security Committee's hearing on Muslim radicalization as he recounted the tale of a 9/11 first responder who died in the attack was powerful stuff. But some conservatives had a different reaction -- suggesting Ellison was putting on a show and even that there were not false rumors about the 9/11 first responder in the heated period after the attacks.

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Muslim Radicalization Hearings

Peter King Hearing Focuses On Whether Peter King Hearing Was A Good Idea

Ryan J. Reilly and Melissa Jeltsen | March 10, 2011, 4:15PM

Constitutions were waved. Tears were shed. Off-color analogies were made. And, of course, Randall Terry, Code Pink and a massive pack of cameras were there for the highly-publicized, intensely debated hearings on the "Extent of Radicalization in the American Muslim Community and that Community's Response" held by Rep. Peter King (R-NY) on Thursday.

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Islamic Terrorism

Lungren On King Hearings: No One Complained About Scope Of Hearings On Neo-Nazis Or The KKK (VIDEO)

Jillian Rayfield | March 10, 2011, 1:30PM

Rep. Dan Lungren (R-CA) said that it's unfair to criticize Rep. Peter King's (R-NY) hearings on Muslim radicalization for having a "singular focus," because the hearings are "looking at a specific problem and we're trying to deal with it" -- just like similar panels, he said, that dealt with neo-Nazis, the KKK, and militia groups.

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Muslim Radicalization Hearings

Peter King: Neo-Nazis Aren't As Big A Threat As Al-Qaeda (VIDEO)

Ryan J. Reilly | March 10, 2011, 11:45AM

Rep. Peter King (R-NY) hit back at criticism of his hearings on Muslim radicalization in his opening statement before the Homeland Security Committee on Thursday and said that the threat of neo-Nazis and lone mad men don't compare to the threat of al-Qaeda.

"I am well aware that the announcement of these hearings has generated considerable controversy and opposition," King said. "Some of this opposition such as my colleague and friend Mr. Pasqual has been measured and thoughtful. Other opposition from special interest groups and the media has ranged from disbelief to rage and hysteria."

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Islamic Terrorism

King, Wolf Go After CAIR At Muslim Radicalization Hearings

Ryan J. Reilly | March 10, 2011, 11:25AM

Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA)

Rep. Peter King (R-NY) and Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA) went after the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) at the Homeland Security Committee's hearing on Muslim radicalization on Thursday.

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Peter King

Rep. Ellison Tears Up At King Hearings While Telling Story Of Muslim 9/11 First Responder (VIDEO)

Jillian Rayfield | March 10, 2011, 11:15AM

Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) was moved to tears today at Peter King's hearings on radicalization in the American Muslim community, when telling the story a Muslim first responder who lost his life on September 11th, 2001.

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Muslim Radicalization Hearings

Dingell: Remember McCarthy, Don't 'Blot Good Name' Of Muslims (VIDEO)

Melissa Jeltsen | March 10, 2011, 10:53AM

Rep. John Dingell (D-MI)

Rep. John Dingell (D-MI), the first witness to speak at Thursday's hearings on Muslim radicalization, warned House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Rep. Peter King (R-NY) to proceed with caution.

"For years, I ran investigative committees. I kept a picture of Joe McCarthy hanging on the wall so that I would know what it was I did not want to look like, to do or to be."

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Peter King

Love Boat Actor's Wife: Muslim Brotherhood Conducting 24/7 'Civilization Jihad' In U.S.

Ryan J. Reilly | March 9, 2011, 8:00AM

Didn't get your fill of radio scandals yesterday? Here's a different one that involves an actor from "The Love Boat" (who went on to represent Iowa as a member of Congress), his wife, and their campaign against radical Islam that they say got them fired from the morning radio program they hosted on a conservative Washington, D.C., radio station.

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Peter King

Official: Peter King Represents 'Majority Perspective' Of Federal Law Enforcement

Ryan J. Reilly | March 9, 2011, 7:58AM

Rep. Peter King (R-NY)

There are basically two schools of thought on the hearings on Muslim radicalization that Rep. Peter King (R-NY) is holding tomorrow. One side sees the hearing as a witchhunt akin to Sen. Joseph McCarthy's anti-Communist campaign of the 1950s that will result in the "demonization and scapegoating" of Muslim-Americans because of their religion. The other side sees King as an American hero who refuses to let political correctness get in the way of protecting national security.

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Jon Stewart

Stewart: Protestors Treated Praying Muslim Like He Was Shooting Free Throws (VIDEO)

Ryan J. Reilly | March 9, 2011, 7:10AM

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart aired TPM's footage of anti-Sharia protestors taunting and throwing crosses at the feet of a Muslim man worshipping in front of the White House in a segment last night on Rep. Peter King's controversial hearings on the radicalization of the Muslim community.

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Peter King

Administration Reaches Out To Muslims Ahead Of 'Radicalization' Hearings

Eric Lach | March 8, 2011, 8:35AM

Rep. Pete King (R-NY)

On Sunday, White House Deputy National Security Adviser Denis McDonough gave a speech at a Muslim center in Virginia, highlighting the Obama administration's attempts at "engagement" with Muslim communities. On Thursday, Rep. Peter King (R-NY), chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, will hold hearings on the "radicalization" of American Muslims. And while McDonough didn't mention King, The New York Times calls the timing of the speech "no accident."

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Peter King

Peter King To Critics: 'Political Correctness' Won't Stop Muslim Radicalization Hearings

Ryan J. Reilly | February 8, 2011, 12:50PM

Rep. Peter King (R-NY)

House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Rep. Peter King (R-NY) said Tuesday that he plans to move forward with a series of hearings to examine the threat of Islamic radicalization, and said he "will not allow political correctness to obscure a real and dangerous threat to the safety and security of the citizens of the United States."

Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS) wrote a letter to King earlier this month asking him to expand the purpose of the hearings into "a broad-based examination of domestic extremist groups regardless of their ideological underpinnings."

But King said that the hearings will serve an important purpose, and that the committee "cannot ignore the fact that al Qaeda is actively attempting to recruit individuals living within the Muslim American community to commit acts of terror."

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Muslims

Muslim Group: 'Our Heads Aren't In The Sand' On Threat Of Islamic Extremism

Ryan J. Reilly | February 7, 2011, 3:55PM

Suhail Khan

The American Muslim community knows that Islamic extremism is a threat -- and several panelists at a forum hosted by a Muslim-American group on Capitol Hill today said that a community policing approach in partnership with the intelligence community was the best way to counter radicalization.

"Law enforcement can neither go in alone or arrest its way out of this challenge," the Muslim Public Affairs Council's Alejandro J. Beutel said.

"Our heads aren't in the sand, the threat clearly exists," Beutel said. "The threat exists, but it is not a pandemic."

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Muslims

Countering Peter King, Muslim Group Hosts Forum On Cooperating With The Feds

Ryan J. Reilly | February 7, 2011, 8:55AM

Rep. Peter King (R- NY)

As Rep. Peter King (R-NY) gears up this month for controversial hearings on the radicalization of the American Muslim community, a moderate Muslim organization is hosting a forum intended to air a discussion on how Muslim-Americans can work with law enforcement.

Haris Tarin of the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) told TPM that while the event isn't specifically tied to King's hearings, his organization believed the briefing would be timely given the national conversation that has been happening about Muslim-Americans and law enforcement.

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Muslims

Report Says Half As Many Muslims Accused In Terror Plots In 2010

Ryan J. Reilly | February 4, 2011, 8:40AM

The number of U.S. Muslims accused in terror plots dropped by more than half in 2010, according to a new report by a professor with the Triangle Center on Terrorism and Homeland Security.

The report notes that 20 American Muslims were suspects in terror plots last year, whereas 47 were suspects in 2009. The 2009 spike, as the Associated Press reports was due mainly to a large number of Somali-Americans who tried to join Somalia's al-Shabab militant movement.

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ACT! For America

Just Before Hearings, King Will Appear On Anti-Muslim Group's TV Show

Rachel Slajda | January 20, 2011, 8:43AM

Rep. Pete King (R-NY)

Just before he holds hearings on the "radicalization" of Muslims in America, Rep. Peter King (R-NY) will appear on the new TV show for a group that believes Muslims are the enemies of America.

In early February, King, the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, will appear on the debut episode of a TV show produced by the group Act! For America. The group's founder, Brigitte Gabriel, believes that Muslims can't be trusted to serve in the U.S. armed forces; that "tens of thousands of Islamic militants now reside in America ... attending our colleges and universities, even infiltrating our government;" and that Americans must unite to "defeat radical Islam."

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FBI

Rush Holt: Peter King's Muslim Hearings Go 'Way Beyond What Is Called For'

Ryan J. Reilly | January 19, 2011, 9:10AM

Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ)

Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ), the former chairman of the Select Intelligence Oversight Panel, said he is troubled by Rep. Peter King's (R-NY) plan to hold hearings on the radicalization of Muslim-Americans.

"I feel like my friend Peter has gone way beyond what is called for there, and I do intend to talk to him about it," Holt told TPM of King's plan.

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Bennie Thompson

Top Homeland Security Dem: Muslim 'Radicalization' Hearings Could 'Chill' Muslim Relations

Rachel Slajda | December 17, 2010, 3:50PM

Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS)

A planned Republican-led inquiry into the "radicalization" of Muslim-Americans could "chill" relations between the U.S. government and its Muslim citizens, the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee told TPM today.

As we reported earlier, Rep. Peter King (R-NY), the soon-to-be chairman of the committee is planning hearings on Muslim-Americans and terrorism next year.

Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), the current chairman who will be ranking member once Republicans take over in January, thinks that might not be a great idea.

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'Ground Zero Mosque'

Fox News, Bachmann Seize On Park51 Federal Grant Application

Rachel Slajda | November 23, 2010, 1:44PM

The site of the Cordoba House project

Park51, the proposed Islamic community center and mosque in downtown Manhattan, has applied for federally-funded grants, prompting shrill cries that the "Ground Zero mosque" is looking for a taxpayer handout.

The Daily Beast reported yesterday that Park51 had applied for $5 million worth of grants. The organization, in a statement, acknowledged applying for a grant from the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation. Park51 says it would use the money both for its construction and services it plans to offer, including domestic violence prevention and foreign language classes.

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Peter King

Rep. Peter King Uses Times Square Bomber To Go Back On The Attack

Zachary Roth | May 4, 2010, 5:35PM

Rep. Peter King (R-NY)

Another attempted terror attack, another chance for Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) to try to gain a political advantage.

In recent years, the New York Republican has gained a reputation for demagoguing every terror incident by hyping the threat of radical Islam and suggesting that Democrats' policies are putting Americans' lives at risk. And now he's back at it.

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Salahis

White House Stance On Rogers Testimony Mimics Bush

Zachary Roth | December 4, 2009, 11:10AM

Desirée Rogers, Special Assistant to the President and White House Social Secretary

The underlying issue is far less consequential -- but it's ironic to see the White House falling back on a argument against transparency that Democrats have spent the last few years challenging.

Asked Wednesday whether Social Secretary Desiree Rogers would testify before Congress about her role in the Salahi affair, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters:

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