The Arizona Democratic party hired a new staffer to help with the Governor’s election who has advocated defunding police and evoked a cop-killing terrorist in an official statement, the Daily Caller has learned.
Josselyn Berry, who previously worked as the Communications Director for the Arizona State Senate Democrat Caucus, was recently hired by the the Arizona Democratic Party to focus on the governor’s race. During her last job for the Arizona Senate Democrats in 2020, Berry wrote an official statement quoting terrorist and convicted cop-killer Assata Shakur who is still wanted by the FBI, and in 2013, the agency added her to its list of most-wanted terrorists, according to the AZ Mirror.
Senate Minority Leader David Bradley told the Mirror that he discussed the press statement on a conference call, but was not aware Shakur was a cop-killer or a terrorist. The outlet reported that Berry was the one who wrote the statement, but Bradley further claimed that Berry was also unaware of Shakur’s criminal history.
Shakur killed a New Jersey state trooper in 1973 and was convicted of murder and a number of other felonies. Shakur escaped from a federal prison in New Jersey in In 1979 and fled to Cuba in 1984. She still remains wanted by the FBI and was added to the FBI’s list of most-wanted terrorists in 2013.
The Arizona Senate Democratic party issued a statement apologizing for quoting a terrorist and a cop-killer, shortly after.
Response to use of Assata Shakur quote in earlier statement pic.twitter.com/wrtauNmchp
— Arizona Senate Democrats (@AZSenateDems) May 29, 2020
Berry also has a past of pushing anti-police rhetoric and calling to defund the police. (RELATED: Cop-Killer Assata Shakur Gets $15K Check From North Carolina Court)
I don’t understand why @CityofPhoenixAZ is giving nearly a billion dollars to police ($745 million) & only $242 million to housing, human services, and community development. I’m asking my City Councilmember and Mayor to prioritize people, not the police. #PHXVOTESNO
— Josselyn Berry (@joss_berry) June 17, 2020
🎶 Bad boys bad boys
whatcha gonna do
when they defund you 🎶 https://t.co/qx6UNaXRAB— Josselyn Berry (@joss_berry) June 10, 2020
In a now-deleted tweet, Berry said her father only taught her two things: “Don’t trust the cops” and “Don’t trust building contractors, who are even worse than cops.”
Despite the State Senate’s apology, Berry still has a tweet up that has not been deleted, quoting Shakur:
“It is our duty to fight for our freedom. It is our duty to win. We must love each other and support each other. We have nothing to lose but our chains.”
–Assata Shakur
— Josselyn Berry (@joss_berry) May 29, 2020
She also minimized ISIS Terrorists and said was “more afraid” of former President Donald Trump.
I’m more afraid of Donald #Trump and men like him than I am of ISIS #debatenight
— Josselyn Berry (@joss_berry) October 20, 2016
The Daily Caller contacted the Arizona Democratic Party and the Arizona State Senate Democrat Caucus about Berry and her past statements to which they did not immediately respond.