South Carolina Democrats are pressuring their Senate nominee to withdraw from the race after the release of expletive-laden audio clips in which she vented racial abuse at her constituents seemed to encourage illegal activity.
In a video captured by Project Veritas, State Representative Krystle Matthews, who is challenging incumbent Republican Tim Scott in November’s general election, appeared to compare her constituents, who she said are mostly white, to unruly children who need to be restrained and bullied into submission. Her district is “slightly Republican,” she says.
http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-Zt3TFlluI&t=1s
Matthews told the journalist: “I keep them right here — like under my thumbs. … Otherwise, they get out of control — like kids.”
“And let me tell you one thing. You gotta know who you’re dealing with,” she added. “You’ve got to treat them like s—-. That’s the only way they’ll respect you.”
In addition to state Republicans, who decried her comments and said they were disdainful of her political responsibility, multiple Democrats denounced her words. Democratic State representative Justin Bamberg, who serves in the state House with Matthews, demanded her resignation and said her remarks revealed a double standard.
“If any of our white counterparts had said the same thing with regards to blacks, the minority community, including myself, would be up in arms calling for that member’s immediate resignation,” Bamberg said.
Democratic South Carolina gubernatorial nominee Joe Cunningham joined in the outcry.
“There is absolutely no place in our political discourse for the kind of rhetoric I heard from Rep. Matthews in the video in question,” Cunningham told The State. “The Democratic Party cannot and should not tolerate such behavior from our elected officials and candidates and we must be consistent in calling out prejudice and hateful comments wherever it exists.”
In a separate audio clip released in June by Project Veritas, Matthews appeared to tell a South Carolina inmate that illegal activities, such as using money derived from selling drugs, are necessary to support political campaigns. She also seemed to condone “secret sleepers” who steal opponents’ campaign signs in the middle of the night.
“Where the f—- are my black people with money? I don’t care about no dope money, give me that dope boy money. S—, where the f—, where’s the duffle bag boys? Get you, find you somebody in your family that doesn’t even know you’re donating to my campaign, and put that s— under their name. Like, what the f—,” Matthews said during the call.
Bamberg said that her behavior was unacceptable and that her message encouraged gang lawlessness.
“No candidate, let alone a sitting member of the S.C. House, should encourage or joke about violating state or federal election laws just to get extra votes,” he said. “She did that. Gangs in our state are too often responsible for the unnecessary loss of life and wasting of brilliant minds for so many young men in the Black community.”
Democratic House Minority leader Todd Rutherford told The State that, if authenticated, Matthews’ comments were inexcusable, but she deserves due process and an opportunity to defend herself.
“I don’t think there’s any place in politics for her type of comments, but I have not verified the authenticity of her statement, and as a criminal lawyer, I believe that everybody deserves a chance to tell their story,” Rutherford said. “I think that the people of South Carolina deserve more than that. I think she needs to answer for her comments.”