One of the country’s largest socialist political organizations is in turmoil after electing a police union organizer to its national committee.
Former law enforcement union organizer Danny Fetonte was elected as one of 15 members of the National Political Committee of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) in early August, and it didn’t take long for various groups to criticize the former cop-friendly union organizer.
The rift in the DSA threatens its burgeoning political influence, gained after organizing behind former Democratic presidential primary candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, a self-described socialist, and as a reaction to the election of President Donald Trump. The DSA boasted 25,000 members leading up to the August convention. (RELATED: Democratic Socialist Group Claims To Be Largest American Socialist Group Since WWII)
Just before Fetonte’s election, the convention body assembled in Chicago, Ill., and approved resolutions supporting the abolition of prisons and police forces. Fetonte worked with the Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas (CLEAT), an officers union, after retiring from the Communication Workers Association and volunteering for former President Barack Obama’s campaign.
Somewhere in the controversy, a rumor started that Fetonte was an actual cop, not merely an organizer for police unions.
“wahhhh hes not a cop hes cop adjacent” Danny Fetonte is a cop. come at me @DemSocialists https://t.co/ioJPwckxFr
— the anxiety haver (@lnjvr) August 29, 2017
Numerous chapters of the DSA have disavowed Fetonte’s ascension to the committee. The steering committee of the New York DSA chapter released a damning statement of no confidence in Fetonte’s leadership Sunday, specifically criticizing how he handled disclosure of his work with law enforcement during the election.
“Given the strong stances within DSA on police and prisons” that were discussed at the convention, Fetonte should have better disclosed his work with Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas (CLEAT), the New York DSA steering committee said.
The dissatisfaction with Fetonte also has a racial element, as he worked with police unions aimed at gaining a “monopoly on violence.”
“As socialists are well-aware, state violence disproportionately targets and brutalizes Black, Brown, indigenous, and LGBTQ comrades with impunity, and is, by its nature, hostile to working-class interests,” the New York steering committee’s statement said.
“Mr. Fetonte’s failure to disavow his work in police union organizing has already strained our partnerships with organizations from the Black Lives Matter movement and his continued presence on the NPC threatens to damage them even further.”
The DSA Veterans Working group posted a petition Aug. 18 to press Fetonte’s resignation, and it has garnered thousands of signatures.
The petition states that the group will refuse to pay dues to the DSA if Fetonte does not resign his position by midnight Wednesday.
“Members of several other organizations fighting for racial justice and equality have also voiced concerns over Mr. Fetonte’s election to the NPC, including allies in Black Lives Matter. His continued presence on the NPC impairs DSA’s efforts to partner with and support these and other organizations, and harms the fight against racist oppression,” the petition reads.
Fetonte’s reaction to the outrage hasn’t helped his position. He wrote a strong defense of his work with CLEAT, reposted by the democratic socialist Medium account @pplswar, in which he said his work building coalitions was always meant to advance labor causes.
“My activities in solving problems never changed my opposition to white supremacy or homophobia,” Fetonte said.
being a total blowhard who’s impossible to fire is the coppest thing yet about Danny Fetonte
— Natalie Shure (@nataliesurely) August 28, 2017
The NPC held a vote Sunday to remove Fetonte, and the committee was evenly split with eight members voting for removal, and eight voting against (one of the 15 voting seats on the committee is split between two representatives from the Youth Democratic Socialists of America).
Instead, the NPC decided to censure Fetonte for his “uncomradely and misleading behaviour (sic)” in the time since his election to the council.
Fetonte did not return The Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
Editor’s note: This post has been updated to correctly reflect that Fetonte’s post was republished on Medium by pplswar.
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