OLYMPIA, Wash. – The Washington Democratic Party says it will donate contributions from controversial spiritual leader JZ Knight to the Anti-Defamation League and the campaign to uphold gay marriage. That announcement late Friday follows the release of new video clips that show Knight making offensive and at times bizarre comments about gay people and people from Mexico.
The latest video clips were released by the conservative Freedom Foundation. In them Knight says gay men were once Catholic women. And attacks people from Mexico.
“The invasion of the Mexicans who just breed like rabbits. They’re poison,” Knight rails in the video.
The video appears to have been shot last year at Knight’s School of Enlightenment near Olympia. Knight claims to channel an ancient spirit named Ramtha. Earlier this year she started giving generously to the state Democratic Party and Democratic candidates. For several days, Democrats have resisted Republican calls to return the contributions. But Benton Strong, a spokesman for the state Democratic party, says after the most recent videos came out.
“It’s pretty clear that the vitriol in this is not the kind of thing that we support as a Democratic Party. We strongly believe in equality and inclusiveness,” Strong says.
Strong says the Party will donate a total of $70,000. Washington Senate Democrats will also donate their contribution from Knight to the campaign to uphold gay marriage. In a statement, the Ramtha School says the release of the videos may violate copyright law and it may sue.
Copyright 2012 Northwest News Network
Copyright 2012 Northwest News Network
