Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Trump’s spokeswoman is an unemployment cheat AND an ‘Agenda 21’ conspiracy theorist

RAW STORY

While much of the recent attention surrounding Katrina Pierson has focused on her bullet necklace, the national spokesperson for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign has also come under scrutiny for both improperly claiming unemployment benefits and pushing the “Agenda 21” conspiracy theory.
According to the National Journal, Pierson received $11,440 in benefits between 2012 and 2013, when she did volunteer work for Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R-TX) run for office. However, state rules that anyone receiving unemployment should actively looking for a paid position while doing so.
The Texas Observer reported last year that in 2011, Pierson led classes for Waco Tea Party members warning them about “Agenda 21,” a popular conservative conspiracy theory claiming that a nonbinding plan approved by United Nations officials in 1992 was really a vehicle for the organization to seize control of the US.
Pierson told the Observer that she led similar discussions in Arizona, Washington D.C., Kansas and several other states and considered it her full-time job, arguing that “[when] you realize that you’ve been lied to your whole life, it’s an eye-opening experience.”
The Journal also noted that Pierson turned against Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC) for supporting Sen. Marco Rubio’s (R-FL) bid for the GOP nomination, just two months after publicly praising him to fellow Tea Party supporters.
Pierson complained on Twitter that Gowdy “lost all cred­ib­il­ity when he nom­in­ated John Boehner for Speak­er so he’s per­fect for Marco Ru­bio.” But on Oct. 26, an email in Pierson’s name went out seeking help “drafting” Gowdy to become House Speaker, despite the fact that Gowdy stated he was not interested in the position.
“These outside groups use members’ names, not just his, without their knowledge and mislead people to think they support or are connected to a group when they are not,” a spokesperson for Gowdy said after reading the email.
Pierson joined Trump’s campaign two weeks after that email was sent.

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