Politics

Keith Ellison Finally Acknowledges Castro Death: Oppressive Dictator A ‘Mixed Bag’

(Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

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After remaining silent for days, Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison finally addressed the death of Cuban dictator Fidel Castro on Monday, calling the tyrant a “mixed bag” while appearing on SiriusXM’s “The Karen Hunter Show,” Mediaite reported.

Ellison, who is widely considered a frontrunner to be the next Democratic National Committee chair, stayed quiet during the media frenzy immediately after Castro’s death. (RELATED: As Party Flirts With Socialism, DNC Silent On Fidel Castro Death)

Ellison, the nation’s first Muslim congressman, acknowledged that Castro engaged in “dictatorial tactics” but tried to soften the image of the man responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocents by claiming Castro took a stand for “peace and freedom in Africa.”

Ellison’s earlier silence was consistent with an overall muted response from Democrats, who have struggled to maintain party unity after it was revealed DNC leaders — expected to remain neutral — actively helped Hillary Clinton in her primary battle against Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. (RELATED: Dem Filmed Making Sexually Explicit Comments Running For DNC Chair)

Since announcing his bid for party chair, Ellison has largely ignored questions about his ties to radical anti-Semite and Nation of Islam leader Keith Farrakhan.

As reported by TheDC’s Chuck Ross, Ellison headlined a fundraiser in 2009 on behalf of a Libyan-born Muslim activist who called for Palestinians to “embrace the jihad way.” (RELATED: Keith Ellison Once Proposed Making A Separate Country For Blacks)

Ellison was also the subject of a House Ethics Committee investigation after failing to disclose that group with ties to the Muslim Brotherhood paid $13,500 for him to take a pilgrimage to Mecca. (RELATED: DNC Chair Frontrunner Once Compared George Bush To Hitler)

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