Senator Blumenthal claims ignorance of Communist Party ties to awards ceremony he attended
After receiving backlash from Republicans, Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal insisted he would not have attended a recent awards ceremony last week if he had known it was hosted by a branch of the Communist Party.
The senator attended the event to support three friends who were honored with the Connecticut People’s World Committee’s annual “Amistad Award,” according to the Yankee Institute, a Connecticut free market think tank. The committee is linked to the Communist Party of the United States and listed on the Marxist People’s World news site. Blumenthal, however, now claims ignorance of this connection.
“I believed this ceremony was strictly a work event,” Blumenthal told the Hartford Current. “If I had known the details, I would not have gone. … Let me say very categorically, I am a Democrat and a strong supporter of American capitalism. I have always been a Democrat and a strong supporter and believer in American capitalism. “
He suggested that the drama surrounding his presence was mostly noise and distraction, and that he was devoting his energy to advancing political priorities in his state.
“People are going to do what they are going to do. I’ll just keep doing my job for the people of Connecticut. There is a lot at stake in the Senate right now – voting rights, the ongoing pandemic, making child care affordable, lowering prescription drug prices. This is where I focus, ”he said.
Blumenthal tried to defend his appearance as a regular engagement with the labor community.
“I go to many events, places, meetings, gatherings and ceremonies in Connecticut. I’m delighted to be invited anywhere, and in this case, I was invited by the local unions to honor these three people, and that’s why I was there. That’s about it, ”he said.
The senator used his speaking platform at the initial event to advocate for President Biden‘s massive $ 1.7 trillion “Build Better” program, a $ 15 minimum wage and kill the filibuster. While asserting the role of capitalism in the American economy in the interview with the Hartford Current, at the event, he touted the importance of “holding corporations accountable for the basic treatment of the American people.”