Fox News legal analyst Gregg Jarrett essentially accused Vice President Kamala Harris of being an accessory to murder on Wednesday night, citing Harris’ single tweet in support of a Minnesota bail fund last year to make his case.
Last week, 47-year-old George Howard was arrested and charged with second-degree murder over a “road rage” incident that left 38-year-old Luis Ortiz dead. Howard had been out on an $11,500 bond over a domestic assault case. His bond was paid by the Minnesota Freedom Fund, a non-profit group that pays bail for individuals arrested and awaiting trial.
The Minnesota Freedom Fund, meanwhile, quickly rose to prominence during the racial justice protests that followed the death of George Floyd last year, as the organization called for donations to help bail out protesters and activists. At that time, Harris and liberal celebrities promoted the fund on their social media accounts.
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Harris’ involvement with the fund appears to stop with that tweet and a Facebook post. That hasn’t stopped Republicans from repeatedly accusing Harris of literally bailing out violent criminals. (The vice president’s office has previously declined to say whether Harris donated to MFF herself.)
While the news of MFF bailing out Howard allowed for conservatives to renew their attacks on the vice-president and tie the bail fund directly to her, Jarrett took it several steps further during an appearance on Fox News’ Hannity on Wednesday evening.
Calling for a congressional commission to investigate the violence at protests in the wake of Floyd’s murder, host Sean Hannity then argued that Harris is “aiding and abetting a lot of the crime” that’s occurring in America.
“Well, one could argue, Sean, but for Kamala Harris, Luis Ortiz would be alive today,” Jarrett declared, before quickly adding: “She didn’t pull the trigger but she championed the fund that set the man free who did pull the trigger.”
After Jarrett all but called Harris a murderer, he went on to accuse the vice president of “victimizing innocent individuals,” claiming she “helped to set free” other violent criminals.
“This will shock you. Here are some of the other criminals that her fund put back on the streets” he exclaimed, before noting that MFF had bailed out several other violent offenders.
“So many innocent people were victimized but Vice President Harris obviously supports accused criminals over police, lawbreakers over law abiders, and we are all in America worse for it,” an animated Jarrett concluded.
“Well said,” Hannity replied.
