“Attacking anyone for the color of their skin or their religion wasn’t OK 75 years ago, and it’s not OK now,” the 97-year-old World War II veteran said.
The former private first class and D-Day veteran endorsed Democratic candidate Ammar Campa-Najjar for California’s 50th Congressional District Monday, a seat currently held by embattled Republican Congressman Duncan Hunter.
The straw that broke the camel’s back for Reilly, according to Campa-Najjar, was Hunter’s latest fundraising email to supporters dated April 9, in which Hunter rehashed false assertions that Campa-Najjar, a Palestinian Mexican American, is tied to radical Islam and is a threat to America’s national security interests, a tactic used repeatedly on the campaign trail last year which critics have labeled as bigoted.
Special guests World War II veterans Joseph Reilly , Irving Locker and Herman Zeitchik are acknowledged during the State of the Union address, at the U.S. Capitol, on February 5. SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty ImagesPresident Donald Trump honored several veterans at his State of the Union address in February—Reilly was one of them.
"Attacking anyone for the color of their skin or their religion wasn’t OK 75 years ago, and it’s not OK now," Reilly said. Campa-Najjar has reiterated throughout his candidacy that he is a Christian. Hunter and his wife, Margaret, were accused by federal prosecutors last year of committing a slew of crimes, the most significant being the misuse of $250,000 in campaign funds. The indictment alleged that the money was spent on items like personal vacations, tequila and video games. He and his wife pleaded not guilty while they await their September 10 trial date.
“He asked, ‘What keeps you up at night?’ I said, ‘Letting my district down, letting you down, after years of trying to win. Coming up short,’” Campa-Najjar recalled his conversation with Reilly. “He said I’ll win if I keep my eyes on the district, and that he’d help me however he can. Meeting veterans, interviews, TV ads. ‘Whatever it takes to get you elected’ were his words.”
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