VIDEO: Senator Moody Seeks Answers from Tampa Sports Authority on Prioritization of Antisemitic Artist Performance

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.- Senator Ashley Moody today called for answers from the Tampa Sports Authority regarding a planned Kanye West concert at Raymond James Stadium at a press conference with Senator Rick Scott and others at the Florida Holocaust Museum.

"At a time when attacks and rhetoric against Jewish Americans is at a historic surge, was it prudent to prioritize and book an artist that just last year praised Adolf Hitler and sold Nazi themed merchandise? The Tampa Sports Authority should explain in detail how this event was approved, as well as explain to Florida taxpayers how we can be assured this bad decision will never happen again," said Senator Ashley Moody.

BACKGROUND:

• Senator Moody has been a staunch supporter of the Florida Jewish community as Attorney General and as United States Senator:
• One of Senator Moody's first bills filed after being appointed to the U.S. Senate was the RECLAIM Act - a bill aimed to claw back federal funding from universities who allow violations of students' civil rights.
  • Specifically, the RECLAIM Act:
  • Expands the prohibition on the provision of federal funds to an entire entity found in violation of Title VI, rather than limiting the prohibition to the specific activity being funded.
  • Grants the federal government the ability to claw back federal funds that have already been awarded during the period when the violation of Title VI was found to have occurred by a court. Additionally, if those funds were already spent, the bill enables the enforcing authority to recoup the full value of awarded funds from the entity found in violation of Title VI, i.e. from a university's endowment.
  • Creates a requirement to impose a moratorium on the provision of federal funds to an entity if an injunction is issued in a case where a Title VI Civil Rights Act violation is alleged. Consideration for the entity to receive funds is dependent upon a court certifying that the entity is compliant with the injunction.
• Last year, Senator Moody met with Harvard President Alan Garber to express deep frustration with Harvard's inaction regarding students who violated the civil rights of, and even assaulted, their peers simply because of their religion. Recently, Senator Moody applauded the Department of Justice for taking legal action to protect Jewish university students at Harvard University.

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