Obscene! Linda Sarsour tweets out political fundraiser disguised as Hurricane Harvey relief

By Joe Newby
Obscene! Linda Sarsour tweets out political fundraiser disguised as Hurricane Harvey relief
Linda Sarsour following her arrest at the Women’s March on Washington

What’s that expression about wolves in sheeps’ clothing?

On Tuesday, Women’s March leader Linda Sarsour (yeah, that Linda Sarsour!) tweeted out what sounded like like a genuine heartfelt appeal to provide aid to the many victims of Hurricane Harvey, which has ravaged Houston and its environs.

“Donate to the Hurricane Relief Fund,” read the simple message, which included a link to a page which emblazoned with the equally urgent message:

Will this presidential election be the most important in American history?

Your donation is vital to ensuring that we have the resources we need to organize and fight for Texans devastated by Hurricane Harvey!

Here’s the tweet:

But according to Townhall, it wasn’t a relief fund at all.

This is the organization Sarsour wants you to pledge money to:

Townhall explains:

The money raised by the organization will go to “shining a spotlight on inequalities” that may arise during the rebuilding effort. It does not appear that money will actually go towards the people who lost their homes in the storm.

Inequalities? What does that have to do with hurricane relief, you may ask. Well, nothing, actually.

Here’s what the site actually says:

Rebuilding in areas impacted by Harvey will be most challenging for marginalized communities. Nearly a quarter of Houstonians live in poverty, approximately 550,000 people, and there are about 575,000 immigrants in the Houston metro area. We will work to ensure that Harvey’s most vulnerable victims have access to critical services from first response and basic needs to healthcare, housing and transportation.

Together we will organize and advocate for our devastated communities, shining a spotlight on inequalities that emerge in the restoration of lives, livelihoods, and homes, amplifying the needs of hard-hit communities, and providing legal assistance for residents wrongfully denied government support. [Emphasis added]

The page is also filled with logos of far-left groups like the SEIU.

As one person on Twitter noted:

https://twitter.com/RobProvince/status/902892093374377985

Another said:

Sarsour wasted no time attacking those who shed on her shenanigans. “‘Alt-right’ must have sent out an email blast. My mentions are on steroids,” she tweeted:

This only energized her critics:

One person called her a “grifter.”

Another suggested that Attorney General Jeff Sessions should prosecute her for soliciting funds under false pretenses:

Not everyone criticized Sarsour. One supporter said she should “keep up the good work,” telling her: “A strong, outspoken woman is a threat.”

According to the Washington Free Beacon, the fundraiser is part of Big Labor’s efforts to raise money for organizing:

The Texas Organizing Project Education Fund, a labor-affiliated group looking to make inroads in right-to-work Texas, launched the Hurricane Harvey Community Relief Fund in the wake of the flooding that has devastated the Houston area. The donation page says the fund will “move the material aid the most vulnerable hit by Harvey,” but that “material” goes beyond standard humanitarian aid. Donations, the page says, will help the SEIU-funded group organize workers.

“Your donation is vital to ensuring that we have the resources we need to organize and fight for Texans devastated by Hurricane Harvey,” the page says.

The relief fund is sponsored by a number of prominent liberal advocacy groups and politically influential unions: the SEIU; Communication Workers of America; Faith in Texas, a group that fights for “economic and racial justice”; Texas RioGrande Legal Aid; Texas Housers, an affordable housing advocate; and the labor-affiliated Workers Defense Project. While the group says it will meet the “first response” needs of residents, it plans to use the fund to advance its organizing agenda.

And, the report said, the effort has been widely criticized by labor watchdogs:

Labor watchdogs criticized the group for exploiting the tragedy to finance its political agenda. Michael Saltsman, research director for the pro-free market Employment Policy Institute, said that the Texas Organizing Project should be satisfied with the “large sums of money they get from labor unions to support a southern strategy for workplace organizing,” rather than fundraising off of the community’s devastation.

“The fine print for this so-called ‘relief fund’ makes clear that it funds workplace organizing efforts, rather than direct aid for Harvey victims,” he said. “If Americans want to support Hurricane Harvey relief efforts, they should donate to an organization like the Red Cross—not Big Labor and its affiliates.”

The Texas Organizing Project, which did not respond to request for comment regarding how fundraising will be split between humanitarian and organizing aid, has benefitted from hundreds of thousands of dollars from union contributions. It has received more than $1.7 million from labor unions since 2014.

No wonder Sarsour got hammered.

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Joe Newby

Joe Newby

Joe Newby is an IT professional. He has written for Conservative Firing Line, Examiner, NewsBusters, and Spokane Faith and Values.

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