Did Kyrsten Sinema falsely claim to be Latina? 2012 controversy resurfaces
Daily Kos 2012: “Sinema lied to the National Association of Latino Elected Officials and said that she was Latina. In 2010 and 2011, Sinema went to NALEO conferences on scholarships that only Latinos received.”
Arizona Democrat Senate candidate Kyrsten Sinema has been in the news a lot lately as comments she made at left-wing forums have resurfaced.
Among the comments was that Arizona was the “crazy” state, and the “meth lab of democracy.” She also said she didn’t care if a constituent went and fought for the Taliban, and that it was inappropriate to criticize anarchist property destruction. It seems that new controversies regarding Sinema’s radical past arise daily.
Sinema was considered a strong contender to grab retiring Jeff Flake’s Senate seat, and the race remains tight in the polling.
There is another Sinema controversy from 2012 which has not yet received a lot of attention in this campaign cycle.
In July 2012, I reported on claims that Sinema wrongfully claimed to be Latino, “Someone tried to pull a Warren in AZ”. I quoted a Daily Caller article by Alex Pappas about the controversy:
A Democratic congressional candidate in Arizona is facing questions about why she is mysteriously and falsely being listed as a Hispanic in a prominent Latino group’s directory of officeholders.
This could be problematic for the candidate, Kyrsten Sinema, because the National Association of Latino Elected (NALEO) and Appointed Officials claims it verifies the information with the officeholders before going to print.
The revelation that NALEO’s 2011 “National Directory of Latino Elected Officials” lists Sinema, a former Democratic state senator, as a Hispanic first surfaced Monday on the website of the Phoenix New Times.
Sinema spokesman Rodd McCleod denied that the candidate self-identified as a Latina. “It’s not our mistake,” McCleod told the Phoenix New Times. “It’s NALEO’s mistake.”
But a NALEO official told the outlet that the information came from Sinema or her office. “We rely heavily on self-identification,” NALEO’s Rosalind Gold said.
The Phoenix New Times reported extensively on the controversy, Kyrsten Sinema Identified (Wrongly) as Latino by NALEO (w/Update):
Former state Senator Kyrsten Sinema is many things: a Democratic candidate for the U.S. House in Arizona’s Ninth Congressional District, a strident advocate for lefty causes, a one-time supporter of erstwhile Green Party presidential candidate Ralph Nader.
And, according to the nonprofit National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, she is also a Latina.
In case you’re befuddled by Sinema’s last name, Selena Gomez she is not. In fact, the Dem could apply to be a spokeswoman for WonderBread, if this politics thing doesn’t work out for her.
Nevertheless, in a PowerPoint demonstration [added note – archived here] created for NALEO’s annual conference this year in Orlando, Florida, Sinema is identified under the header, “Latinos in non-majority Latino districts,” on the same page as Nevada Legislator John Oceguera.
And in NALEO’s “2011 Directory of Latino Elected Officials,” Sinema’s listed along with elected Arizona Latinos, such as Congressman Ed Pastor and state Senator Steve Gallardo.
How did Sinema’s name end up in the directory? According to Rosalind Gold, Senior Director of Policy, Research and Advocacy at NALEO, details on Sinema’s ethnic status likely would have come from either Sinema or someone in her legislative office.
“We rely heavily on self-identification,” Gold told me, explaining that the organization would have called Sinema’s office to ask if Sinema was Latino.
“If the answer is, `yes,'” said Gold, “we do not generally go farther than that.” …
Sinema for Congress spokesman Rodd McLeod insisted that Sinema has never identified herself as a Latina. When I asked what she identified herself as, he responded, “as an Anglo.”
[Source]
UPDATE July 10, 2012: NALEO today issued the statement below.
NALEO Statement on Former Arizona State Senator Kyrsten Sinema
Washington, D.C. – The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) issued the following statement regarding the inclusion of Former Arizona State Senator Kyrsten Sinema in the 2011 Directory of Latino Elected Officials:
“NALEO is proud to serve as the leadership organization of the nation’s more than 6,000 Latino elected and appointed officials. While the vast majority of our members identify themselves as Latino or Hispanic, this is not a criterion for membership in the NALEO organization.
“Many elected or appointed officials have joined NALEO because they represent Latino constituents and want to serve as more effective policy makers and public servants in their communities.
“As NALEO members, these officials have access to considerable resources and support that enable them to better serve their constituents and communities. These resources include access to numerous publications and professional development seminars, including the National Institute for Newly Elected Officials and the annual Directory of Latino Elected Officials.
“We have recently become aware that Former Arizona State Senator Kyrsten Sinema was mistakenly included in our 2011 Directory of Latino Elected Officials. Senator Sinema has informed us that she is not Latina and we will work to ensure this is reflected in future editions of the directory and other informational materials.
“Senator Sinema is a past member of NALEO in good standing with the organization. While the Senator is not a current member of NALEO, we would welcome her back should she serve in an elected or appointed official capacity in the future.
“The directory is designed only as a database for elected officials who designate themselves as Latino or Hispanic. NALEO relies on the elected officials and staff to indicate whether they are Latino for inclusion in this database.
“NALEO Executive Director Arturo Vargas has initiated an internal review of the directory process to ensure the organization continues to provide the most accurate and timely information possible.”
Contrary to the reporting, Sinema’s congressional campaign released a statement at the time blaming NALEO. The statement read in part:
“The truth is, Sinema has never misrepresented herself. She has been a strong Anglo ally of the Latino community and has never represented herself as anything other than that. She has identified herself as Anglo and has done so each time that she applied for membership at NALEO, an organization that she has been a long-standing member of.
“It is unfortunate that Sinema’s political opponents chose to initiate a cynical narrative based on an administrative error, an honest mistake made by the organization. Similarly, versions of NALEO’s Profile of Latino Elected Officials showcased both Latino elected officials and strong elected Anglo allies like former Senator Kyrsten Sinema and Senator Linda Lopez.
“Attacks like this are unfair to the organization’s aims and distracts from our goal of broadening civic leadership in our Latino communities; a goal that can only be accomplished by cultivating new Latino leaders and encouraging determined non-Latino allies.”
The Sinema campaign denial notwithstanding, The Phoenix New Times followed up with even more reporting on Sinema’s history of being identified as Latina [note, some of the embedded links no longer work]
NALEO referred to Sinema as being a Latina in a power-point presentation given by NALEO’s executive director Arturo Vargas on June 21 before NALEO’s annual conference in Orlando, Florida this year, and in its 2011 Directory of Latino Officials.
But the Latina/Latino designation has been Sinema’s, courtesy of NALEO, for several years now.
As Channel 12’s Brahm Resnik reported, Sinema was listed in NALEO’s directories going back five years. But NALEO also referred to Sinema as Latina in several other of the organization’s publications, including surveys of state races in 2006, 2008, and 2010.
Sinema campaign spokesman Todd McLeod defended his candidate, saying she’d never seen the NALEO publications in question.
“She hadn’t read those publications,” McLeod stated, adding “She’s never misrepresented [her ethnicity] when asked.”
The progressive community was not buying Sinema’s explanation. At that time, a community member at the left-wing Daily Kos wrote a brutal takedown, Kyrsten Sinema Took NALEO Scholarships Meant for Latinos [note, some of the embedded links no longer work];
While Kyrsten Sinema was talking about her “love” for Russell Pearce, Sinema was also pretending to be latina.
Sinema lied to the National Association of Latino Elected Officials and said that she was Latina. In 2010 and 2011, Sinema went to NALEO conferences on scholarships that only Latinos received.
Last month, at the NALEO conference- where President Obama and Mitt Romney spoke- she was presented to thousands of national latinos as a Latino candidate and “one to watch.”
Sinema, who is white, has changed her story in order to cover up her lies. At first she said that this was NALEO’s mistake but they made it clear that they “rely heavily on self-identification.”
NALEO’s records are clear that Sinema was the liar- “records indicated NALEO contacted Sinema’s legislative staff in advance of the 2011 entry and a staff member said Sinema was Hispanic.”
Then Sinema tried to defend herself with the classic ‘some of my best friends are Latino’ response. Without any friends in the Latino community in Arizona, Sinema pushed a friend in Texas to say that Sinema had a “latina heart.”
Kyrsten Sinema’s heart is not Latina- it’s rotten.
I reached out to Sinema’s Senate campaign for comment, but have not received a response as of this writing.
[Featured Image: Kyrsten Sinema official congressional portrait]
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Comments
wow – watching her campaign in the last week is interesting. I wonder what the good people of Arizona think?
We think and know she is an insane socialist nutjob.
Is it or is it not illegal for an American citizen to join a hostile foreign militia engaged in military action against the US? If memory serves, John Phillip Walker Lindh was found guilty of murdering or conspiring to murder a CIA agent – or something to that effect. But not for treason, or acts defined as mercenary by nature. Whatever.
I think the above is far more important than faking Latina heritage, but the mercenary angle is harder thing to market than lying on a resume. Lots of people probably identify with resume lies and half-truths.
It is illegal. It’s treason. But that doesn’t mean Sinema has to care about it.
Lindh could have been charged with treason, but the prosecution would have to find two witnesses who saw him fight US forces, knowing that they were US forces, and not under coercion. Remember, he joined the Taliban before it became an enemy of the USA, and originally claimed either that he hadn’t known that had happened, or that he didn’t voluntarily take part in combat against US forces.
But she fills all the boxes
Medicare for all
open borders
illegal’s struggles are the moral equivalent of our GI’s serving in combat
Conservatives in Arizona are crazy
Bisexual (she gets a 2fer on this one part time gay woman)
Former crazy green candidate now centrist Democrat (WTF)
Free college
$15-$20min wage
Gun licenses for all gun possessions
Code pink warrior
phony “poor girl” narrative (just like Warren)
and now part time Latino
She is perky and crazy just what the dems need. Her opponent has actually accomplished something
Seems like a lot of “She said/they said”, and a lot of weight being put on conjectural fluff like “details on Sinema’s ethnic status likely would have come from . . . ”
“Sinema went to NALEO conferences on scholarships that only Latinos received.”
This is the only really substantial indication of abuse here, and it depends on the details. Is it really “scholarships that only Latinos received,” or is it “scholarships that only members of NALEO received”?
The second phrase doesn’t imply the first, if this statement—”While the vast majority of our members identify themselves as Latino or Hispanic, this is not a criterion for membership in the NALEO organization”—is correct.
At first glance, it looks like NALEO has been padding the rolls, and throwing in a lot of chaff to make itself look like more of a heavyweight than it really is. And somebody at DailyKOS didn’t get the memo. Even willing as I am to ascribe all acts of human depravity to Democrats, I can’t see that confusion caused by NALEO is Simena’s fault.
But what’s with the dig at WonderBread? “In fact, the Dem could apply to be a spokeswoman for WonderBread, if this politics thing doesn’t work out for her.” Is this some racist Fifth Column “dog whistle” codeword?
“But what’s with the dig at WonderBread? “In fact, the Dem could apply to be a spokeswoman for WonderBread, if this politics thing doesn’t work out for her.” Is this some racist Fifth Column “dog whistle” codeword?”
Not a dog whistle at all if you grew up in a diverse neighborhood. The blacks would call you ‘white bread’ in they outnumbered you. WonderBread was the whitest bread on the shelf
Alternative explanation for organization saying they were at fault – they are covering for a fellow Socialist-Democrat who was caught cheating.
Rather hollow which best describes the candidate
There is a lot of pretending in the Dem party. Either way. Whatever it takes to get votes. Ethnic pretending. Pretending to be for Kavannaugh. Pretending to be all in on the craziest track towards socialism of late. Whatever it takes. Get elected. Get reelected.
Leftists have beliefs. Their first commandment is: The End Justifies the Means.
Liberals sure do seem to do a lot if culture appropriating!?!
Maybe she’s a white-hispanic, or would that be a hispanic-white?
“Hispanic” is a very confused and confusing term.
There are a LOT of “white” Hispanics, since the term refers to ethnic grouping and not a race. In Mexico, you’ll even find some oriental “Hispanics” who are descended from Koreans who were brought into Mexico as virtual slave labor.
I had an acquaintance, a lawyer from Mexico City, who had red hair, blue eyes and a very Irish name. His family had been in Mexico for generations. Yet ethically, he was Hispanic.
It’s complicated…
Didn’t mean to downvote you.
Ethnically, he is still Irish.
His nationality is Mexican.
My ethnicity is a European mix.
My nationality is american..
Hispanics… Orlando Cepeda, Alberto Fujimori, Fidel Castro. Yet many want to treat Hispanic as a race. Often articles compare things like crime or employment and list Black, White and Hispanic. Before it became so common to do so, I used to write the article author and ask, “What race were the Hispanics in the study?”. The usual response was, “Huh?”.
There is a reason the diversity/oppression obsessed want to grant “race” status to an ethnicity.
Race, color and ethnic group shouldn’t matter — just actions. Your actions define your character, not your color or group. So many people believe it’s the other way around.
I’m not sure I much care if Sinema lied. The fact that she feels the need, speaks volumes.
I was just reminiscing about Zimmerman and the Media who rushed to paint him a white guy … I’d never heard the term “white-hispanic” before the media so labeled him …
You’ll have to ask Zimmerman about that.
“Hispanic” and “Latino” are are not even true ethnic classifications anymore. People whose parents spoke Spanish in the home are “classed” as Hispanic or Latino. people who have Spanish surnames, whose families came from countries and cultures, other than Spain or Latin America and who speak no Spanish are still “classified” as Hispanic. In countries which are considered Hispanic, especially in the New World, you have multiple cultures, none of which are related to each other. Yet, if a person from any one of these cultures speaks Spanish, or has a Spanish surname, he is “classified” as Hispanic.
And this classification is done only for political purposes. Blond haired, blue eyed Minnisota resident Arnst Knudson can not claim the “classification” of Norse, because such a classification does not exist in official documents in the US. But if Arnst was a fifth generation native of Bogata, who speaks Spanish, is Roman Catholic and grew up in the dominant culture there, he can be “classified” as a Hiapanic, in the US. This is the problem with “ethnic” classifications. They are anything but accurate and are, in most cases, arbitrary.
“They are anything but accurate and are, in most cases, arbitrary.”
Yes, and it depends which political cause needs serving the most.
Elizabeth Warren, Shaun King, Rachael Dolezal.
Need I say more?
Anyone check the Cherokee registration for her yet?
Is that ANYONE running on a democrat ticket who isn’t a corrupt, incompetent, horrible fraud?
Answer: nope.
What a frightening group of people – who want to lord over us.
“We rely heavily on self-identification,”
If you’re a leftist you can identify yourself as anything that is politically expedient for the movement.
Perhaps forms should now have a box to check as “democrat” for “race” so that it can’t be held against you in the future. It would make it less confusing for us. There is sadly no solution for their confusion.
Maybe Fauxcahontas and Kyrsten Sinema can form a ‘faux’ club.
https://legalinsurrection.com/2018/10/did-kyrsten-sinema-falsely-claim-to-be-latina-2012-controversy-resurfaces/
If they can dig-up that white NAACP woman who claimed to be black, they’d really have some group.