Former KKK Leader David Duke Threatens To Expose Politicians Over Scalise Scandal

Amid the scandal surrounding House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) for his speech to a group of white nationalists in 2002, former KKK leader David Duke issued a threatening warning to politicians who criticize Scalise, telling them they “better be looking over their shoulders.”

In a recent interview with Fusion, Duke alleged that he has ties to politicians on both sides of the aisle, and that if criticism of Scalise continues, he is more than ready to release the names.

“Overall, Duke was rather flabbergasted by the new focus on Scalise. He said he has hosted both Democratic and Republican legislators at everything from conferences to his children’s birthday parties. He said he has met with Democratic legislators at least 50 times in his political life.

And he delivered a warning to both Republicans and Democrats: Treat Scalise fairly, and don’t try to make political hay out of the situation. Or he said he would be inclined to release a list of names of all the politicians — both Republicans and Democrats — with whom he has ties.

‘If Scalise is going to be crucified — if Republicans want to throw Steve Scalise to the woods, then a lot of them better be looking over their shoulders,’ Duke said.”

Duke is not just a former KKK leader — he is also the founder of European-American Unity and Rights Organization, also known as EURO, which is the group Scalise addressed in 2002. EURO has been designated as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Duke said he has met with Scalise several times, along with other members of Louisiana’s congressional delegation, and doesn’t understand why so many are criticizing the House Majority Whip.

“Why is Scalise being singled out? I don’t know,” Duke said. “He was just going there, obviously, to tell voters about some of his initiatives on some tax matters. That’s what it’s all about. And I think it’s insane, this whole process.”

Whether or not Duke thinks the whole process is insane, Scalise himself has struggled to distance himself from Duke and his white supremacy connections since it was revealed earlier this week that he had associations with the former KKK Grand Wizard and EURO.

“I didn’t know who all of these groups were, and I detest any kind of hate group,”Scalise said on Monday.

Scalise’s office did not deny he had spoken at the EURO conference, but stopped short of actually confirming it. In a statement, Scalise’s office pleaded ignorance, and said that Scalise was “never affiliated with the abhorrent group in question.”

Duke found the idea that Scalise was unaware of the message behind the group EURO to be baffling and hard to believe.

“It would seem to me, it would be likely that he would know,” said Duke in an interview with the Huffington Post. “But I don’t know.”

GOP leaders — including House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) — are standing by Scalise amid the controversy over his connection with David Duke.

It would certainly be interesting if David Duke did end up releasing the names of the politicians with whom he claims ties. What do you think?

For more on the controversy surrounding Scalise and former KKK leader David Duke, click here.

[Image via pixgood.com]