Republican Party Works With Muslim Brotherhood Lobbyist To Investigate Benghazi (Philip Kiko)

http://shoebat.com/ ^ | May 26, 2014 | Walid Shoebat and Ben Barrack

[Whenifhow]

The American people are supposed to trust Republicans appointed to investigate Benghazi but as it turns out, the Executive Director appointed to the House Select Committee on Benghazi – Philip Kiko – is a lobbyist for the Smith-Free Group, in which his clients include the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), the radical environmentalist group the Sierra Club, Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), National Council of La Raza “the Race” (NCLR), and the National Organization for Women (NOW), NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (NLDEF) and others.

And it even gets worse, it also turns out that he lobbied for a group with strong connections to Muslim Brotherhood front groups in the U.S.

Let’s address the elephant in the room. When it comes to Benghazi, the attackers all resided under the Muslim Brotherhood umbrella.

Muslim Advocates Kiko, appointed by Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy, has been a lobbyist for Smith-Free Group since 2013. One of Smith-Lee’s clients is the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, a consortium of racial and liberal organizations that includes the highly suspect Muslim Advocates (MA). There also appears to be a connection to Wisconsin politicians. The head of MA used to work for U.S. Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) and Kiko for Rep. James Sensenbrenner as Deputy Chief of Staff from 2001 – 2007. Sensenbrenner is credited with authoring the Patriot Act.

MA’s President and Executive Director Farhana Khera worked directly for Feingold for six years and was Counsel to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. Ironically, a primary focus of Khera has been to water down the Patriot Act to protect Muslims. The degree to which she was successful can be seen in both how politically correct the law is as well as Feingold being the only U.S. Senator to vote against the law.

Khera represented the Muslim Students Association (MSA) in the U.S. and Canada in a suit filed against the City of New York over the surveillance of the Muslim community. MSA is a known Muslim Brotherhood front group and Khera is clearly a pro-Muslim activist who has argued that sting operations lead to “anti-Muslim sentiment”.

In 2010, Khera spoke at the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) convention. In her speech, Khera tipped off Muslim leaders about law enforcement surveillance techniques. ISNA is also a Muslim Brotherhood front.

Perhaps one of Khera’s most prized accomplishments was a letter she received from then-Deputy National Security Adviser John Brennan, who is currently the Director of the CIA. Brennan’s letter was in response to a letter sent by Khera and 57 Muslim organizations requesting that training materials offensive to Muslims be purged from counter-terrorism manuals. Brennan expressed agreement with Khera in his response.

When it comes to other Muslim Advocates members advocating for terrorist organizations, at a 2007 Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) convention, Muslim Advocates counsel Akil Vohra vouched for the Holy Land Foundation, insisting that it was not connected to terrorism. One year later, the HLF was found guilty on all charges related to terrorism.

When former Deputy Chief of Staff to Hillary Clinton Huma Abedin found herself at the center of controversy after Rep. Michele Bachmann raised questions about Abedin’s ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, at least one Muslim Advocates member expressed support for Abedin. Board member Amber Khan sent out the following tweet about Abedin’s attendance at the White House iftar dinner in 2012:

Curiously, Kiko’s former boss – Sensenbrenner – was one of a handful of Republicans who publicly defended Abedin, thereby siding against Bachmann.

Rep. Keith Ellison, one of two Muslim U.S. Congressmen, was one of Abedin’s staunchest of defenders against Bachmann. Ellison responded to Bachmann’s questions with an incoherent two-page letter that was rebuked with a 16-page letter from Bachmann; it would be her last public words on the matter.

Ellison also has a connection to Muslim Advocates. The organization’s Director of Program to Strengthen Muslim Charities, Mohamed Sabur, was once an employee of Ellison.

Sabur is also credited with founding The Qunoot Foundation. This organization is a partner with CAIR. Muslim Advocates is identified as a kind of offshoot from the Muslim Brotherhood front. In fact, their advocates work with CAIR. In fact, on CAIR’s official website, an application was accepted for a CAIR / Qunoot Fellowship.

Another co-founder of Qunoot Foundation – Zahier Janmohamed – supports Hamas, which is itself a Muslim Brotherhood group whose beliefs are in line with the Benghazi attackers.

Other figures on the Muslim Advocates website that warrant further scrutiny are Deputy Director Naheed Qureshi and Board Asifa Quraishi-Landes. As we have learned, the Qureshi name (can be spelled differently) is quite prominent within the Muslim Brotherhood. Suheir Qureshi was identified by Shoebat.com as one of the 63 Muslim Sisterhood leaders. Naheed joined other Muslim Brotherhood figures at the 2010 White House Iftar Dinner, to include Huma Abedin’s mother Saleha Abedin.

Here is a promo video on the Muslim Advocates website, the organization Kiko has lobbied for. The video features Sabur, Khera, and Ellison:

Foley and Lardner Another potentially noteworthy aspect to Kiko’s background is his time with Foley and Lardner as Of Counsel. One of the partners of this firm is Cleta Mitchell, who inexplicably defended Grover Norquist and Suhail Khan in the face of overwhelming evidence of their complicity in the Muslim Brotherhood agenda.

The evidence against both Norquist and Khan is incontrovertible. Yet, Mitchell chose to vehemently defend them while smearing those who pointed out their Muslim Brotherhood connections, as Shoebat.com reported. The extent of Kiko’s relationship with Mitchell is unclear but it is noteworthy that both Mitchell and he have either advocated for or defended individuals or groups with connections to the Muslim Brotherhood. As a partner with Foley, Mitchell would have been senior to Kiko, who was listed as ‘Of Counsel’.

Kiko Should Recuse Himself Shortly after Speaker John Boehner appointed Trey Gowdy to head the House Select Committee on Benghazi, Gowdy appointed Kiko. To what extent Boehner may have had a hand in Gowdy’s naming of the longtime DC lobbyist is not known but Boehner sure seemed pleased with the appointment immediately after it was announced, saying:

“Phil Kiko is a man of unquestioned integrity with a record of distinguished service to the House and the American people. His appointment today is further proof of Chairman Gowdy’s commitment to an investigation that is serious, fact-based, and professional. The American people deserve the full truth about what happened in Benghazi on September 11, 2012, and there is no better person to help lead this effort than Phil.”

Like Sensenbrenner, Boehner was one of the handful of Republicans who defended Abedin against Bachmann, as Shoebat.com reported.

Let’s face it, Congress has a poor track record with the American people. It’s a place where corruption thrives like weeds in a garden that needs constant tending. Despite this, there is an industry in Washington, DC that is viewed with even more contempt, perhaps the most unprincipled profession in the nation’s capital – lobbying. Often, the extent to which any one lobbyist’s principles – or lack thereof – can be known are by looking at his clients.

When doing this with Kiko, it becomes apparent that he should recuse himself from the Benghazi investigation. Boehner, Gowdy and every member of the House Select Committee should demand it.

[onedoug]

Why should there be any muslims associated with this at all?

The fix sure is in.

“By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.”

[drypowder]

just more clear evidence that the first rule of holding office for government officials in DC is to protect the brotherhood of fellow government officials. Liars lie and when they are really good liars, they go to DC.

[boycott]

This clown may as well be a lobbyist the devil himself.

[Seizethecarp]

“...Philip Kiko – is a lobbyist for...”

This statement IS a lie. A lawyer IS a hired gun who works FOR whoever is paying him/her currently. The correct statement would be Kiko WAS a lobbyist for (fill in the blank).

The highest paid lawyers in the country defend the wealthiest criminals. Does that make the lawyers criminals?

Is Kiko a fellow-traveler of the Muslim Brotherhood just because he has hired on as a lawyer to represent their mostly indirect interests at times?

This blog post creates a deliberately false narrative that smears Trey Gowdy, a may who I have always found to be above reproach. This is not conservatism advocacy, IMO.

[Whenifhow]

It is difficult to know who is on which side and whom to trust.

There must be confidence that Gowdy is aware of Kiko’s connections.

From the other thread - link at post 5 - shows that conservative lawyers were criticizing Kiko as the choice.

However, emails obtained by Fox News show that some conservatives are unhappy with Kiko’s appointment, chiefly because of his recent lobbying activities. Emails circulating among a large group of conservative lawyers and former Capitol Hill staffers late Thursday, after Kiko’s selection became known, included sharp criticism of Kiko for having represented the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights (LCCHR), among other clients.

[Seizethecarp]

Remember that scene in Crocodile Dundee when he pulls out his BIG knife when surrounded by punks?

IMO, Gowdy is Boehner’s BIG knife and Kiko, in turn, is Gowdy’s BIG knife! So the Dems are doubly terror-stricken here!

Nobody in the Dem camp or even here on FR ever thought Boehner would pick Gowdy to head up the select committee...or even to allow a select committee!

A highly trained lawyer is a sharp tool that can cut through bull poop thrown up by the legal defense team.

[Louis Foxwell]

Maybe this guy know where the “bodies” are buried.

More likely he knows where to bury bodies.

[Republicanprofessor]

Benghazi ping.

Let Republicanprofessor know if you want on or off this ping list.

[Truth29]

Time to send this article to Gowdy and demand an explanation. Let him know we are watching.

[1010RD]

Gowdy and the GOPe, please don’t let the fix be in.

[hoosiermama]

Just a thought
A lawyer and his client has priveledge communication that cannot be disclosed correct?
Can the lawyer use that knowledge to subpoena and question a thrird party to expose said information making it public knowledge ?

[GOPJ]

Thanks for the ping.

[MSRiverdog]

Trey Gowdy has a flawless record of winning in the courtroom, don’t people realize that he’s not in it lose?

[Tainan]

Quite glad to see your post adding a bit of reflection to the thread.
Your explanation of this position, lobbyist, is sorely needed.
Politics, which is what this is all abut, is a very dirty game. In its reality, it is not something played by well-dressed men abiding by the "rules" of the game - it is dirty fighting, lies and intrigue that would sicken most of the populace.
When it is extended to an international level, especially a level dealing with those in the 'Middle East', one must add into the mix Islamic fanatics, murderers and cut-throats who do not "play by the book" -hell, their "book", the Quoran, is not even used by them for reference. One must understand that these various groups do not like, trust, or even co-ordinate their activities whith each other. They hate each other almost as much as they hate the Evil Satan U.S.A..

To add a member who has access, or even a play list, of these groups and individuals to the investigative committee is merely good sense.
It is not an endorsement of these groups - merely a program that might help in identifying the players.

Its is, IMO, all about gaining entrance to a world where some semblance of the "truth" may be found. Or at lease useful information about who, what, where and how.

My 2 sheckles....

[Seizethecarp]

Thanks!

[Rabin]

Seize, “A deliberately false narrative that smears Trey Gowdy, a man who I have always found to be above reproach. This is not conservatism advocacy, IMO.”

Thanks, I needed that.
Raben.