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Ariz. Anti-Immigrant Law’s Author Says He No Longer Works With Neo-Nazi

Posted June 8, 2010 by Patrick Young, Esq.
Categories: Hate Watch

State Senator Russell Pearce was unknown outside of his home state before his anti-immigrant bill SB 1070 passed in the Arizona legislature. Conservatives rushed to his defense when some suggested he was a racist. Of course, they knew as little about the senator as the rest of us.

The Arizona Republic has been looking at the involvement of Russel Pearce with far-right groups, and what they saw is not pretty. Here is some of that story:

The fall of 2006 was a public-relations nightmare for Russell Pearce, then still serving in the Arizona House.

As he fought for a bill to impose sanctions on employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants, he created two political firestorms.

First, he used the term “Operation Wetback” in praising a 1954 federal campaign that deported thousands of illegal immigrants.

Then he forwarded to numerous people an e-mail that contained an anti-Semitic screed from the neo-Nazi National Alliance. When the story hit the papers, he apologized and said he hadn’t known the full contents.

“What’s interesting,” said Bill Straus, Arizona regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, “is Russell called me the day after that story broke, and he was almost tearful. He called me on my cellphone to apologize, to say that’s not him.”

In an ensuing 90-minute meeting, Straus said he showed Pearce material from neo-Nazi and White supremacist websites, including one maintained by East Valley neo-Nazi J.T. Ready that lauds Pearce and makes it seem as if they are full allies.

To some Republicans, Ready was considered only a dedicated patriot until his true leanings were later exposed.

In a recent interview with The Arizona Republic, Pearce acknowledged his relationship with Ready but said he has severed his ties with him. And he said he couldn’t do anything about extremist groups who use illegal immigration to make their own toxic political hay.

“There is no room for hate in this debate, and there is no room for hate groups in this debate,” Pearce said. “They do great damage to the cause and the rule of law.”

Pearce said Ready “is absolutely not welcome in our home”

That, however, came as news to Ready, who told The Republic that Pearce has not spoken with him to sever ties. Ready said he still considers Pearce a political ally.

Pearce acknowledged posing with Ready for a picture at a June 2007 anti-illegal immigration rally at the Capitol but said he has his picture taken with lots of people whose views diverge from his.