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Lauren Boebert Faces Ethics Complaint From Muslim, Jewish Groups Over Ilhan Omar Comments

Muslim and Jewish advocacy groups have filed a formal complaint against GOP Representative Lauren Boebert in the wake of her offensive remarks about Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar.

Muslim Advocates and Bend the Arc: Jewish Action wrote to the House Ethics Committee on Tuesday calling for an investigation against the Colorado Republican, according to the complaint first reported by Politico.

“Rep. Boebert’s hateful, anti-Muslim statements pose real-life dangers,” the two groups wrote. “When elected officials attack religious minorities, they can lay the groundwork for real violence against those communities.”

Boebert has been under fire since making anti-Muslim comments about Omar to an audience over the Thanksgiving holiday. The Republican congresswoman referred to Omar, a practicing Muslim, as a member of the “Jihad Squad.”

A video also surfaced showing Boebert talking about being in an elevator with Omar and suggesting she was a terrorist.

“You know, we’re leaving the Capitol and we’re going back to my office and we get an elevator and I see a Capitol police officer running to the elevator. I see fret all over his face, and he’s reaching, and the door’s shutting, like I can’t open it, like what’s happening. I look to my left, and there she is. Ilhan Omar,” Boebert said. “And I said, ‘Well, she doesn’t have a backpack, we should be fine.”

Boebert later apologized on Twitter “to anyone in the Muslim community I offended with my comment about Rep. Omar.”

The two representatives also had a conversation over the phone, but Omar said she hung up on the “unproductive call” as Boebert only doubled down on her remarks. Boebert said she refused to make a public apology directly to Omar during the talk and demanded Omar apologize for her alleged “anti-American” rhetoric.

Omar has demanded Republican leadership take action against Boebert, and her calls have been echoed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other senior Democratic lawmakers.

In their complaint, Muslim Advocates and Bend the Arc: Jewish Action wrote that “holding a member of Congress accountable for their deplorable behaviors and bigoted remarks towards other members—and indeed against an American religious minority—is a part of what allows a system of checks and balances to remain effective.”

The groups added: “If we do not hold Congresswoman Boebert accountable for her latest comments, those same children could get the disturbing message that Congress does not care about the dignity and safety of American Muslims and they do not belong among our elected officials.”

Newsweek reached out to Boebert’s office for comment but didn’t receive a response before publication.

SOURCE: https://www.newsweek.com/lauren-boebert-faces-ethics-complaint-muslim-jewish-groups-over-ilhan-omar-comments-1654903
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