Communist influence operations-linked group behind DC illegal immigrant voting law

An organization that was a key player behind a successful push to let illegal immigrants in
Washington, D.C
., vote in local elections has ties to
Communist Party
influence operations, according to records.

The
Council of the District of Columbia
, Washington’s lawmaking body overseen by the federal government, approved a
bill
in October 2022 that would grant voting rights to noncitizens in 2024. That same measure was backed by a little-known
social justice
group called the Claudia Jones School for Political Education, which is linked to the Communist Party and embarked on an informal but effective lobbying spree to pressure lawmakers.

“It’s really shameful and reprehensible that members of the D.C. Council would work with what is basically a communist front,” Hans von Spakovsky, who leads the Heritage Foundation’s Election Law Reform Initiative and used to sit on the
Federal Election Commission
, told the Washington Examiner.

REPUBLICANS PUSH TO REPEAL DC LAW ALLOWING UNDOCUMENTED RESIDENTS TO VOTE IN LOCAL ELECTIONS

For years, liberals in Washington have sought to pave the way for illegal immigrants to vote in local elections. The council
tried
to do so in 2004, but a majority of lawmakers rejected the measure. Some jurisdictions in Maryland already
let
noncitizens vote in local elections.

The Claudia Jones School for Political Education,
a group
“fighting racism, capitalism, and all forms of exploitation and oppression,” mobilized to convince lawmakers to support the bill, which was dubbed the Local Resident Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2022. The group, which was founded in 2020, did so through the D.C. Immigrant Voting Rights Coalition, an initiative
launched
in June 2022.

Activists for the group and its coalition met with councilmembers, including Democrats Brianne Nadeau, Charles Allen, and Anita Bonds, as well as prepared
testimony
in support of the voting rights bill. When the bill passed in October 2022, the bill’s lead sponsor, Nadeau, issued a joint
press release
celebrating its passage with the Claudia Jones School and other community groups and organizers.

“It is so wonderful to see this legislation to the finish line,” Nadeau said. “I am proud to see this bill move forward and am especially proud to have worked alongside local advocates and residents as well as Judiciary Chairman Charles Allen. Thank you for your dedication, hard work, and tireless outreach that helped us get to this finish line.”

What remains unclear is how much councilmembers knew about the Claudia Jones School, as well as its origins, while entertaining the group’s policy interests. The organization is named after Claudia Jones, the late Communist Party leader and black nationalist whom the
United States
deported in 1955.

Communist Party USA has
praised
the Claudia Jones School as an effective front for the “revival of the Communist Party USA in the nation’s capital.” Arturo Griffiths, who leads the Claudia Jones School, has said an effort to pressure lawmakers to support the bill was effective,
the
Washington Post reported in October 2022.

That same month,
he wrote an op-ed
in People’s World, which has long been a pro-Marxist publication
affiliated
with the Communist Party, claiming the bill would “strengthen our democracy.” The publication’s YouTube
account
features numerous videos of Communist Party leaders in countries including
Germany
, Venezuela, South Africa, and
Canada
discussing party operations.

People’s World
identified
Griffiths as a “leader of the Communist Party USA” in December 2021.

“I can think of no greater threat to the fabric of our democracy than allowing noncitizens to cast their vote prior to being naturalized, and red flags ought to go up anytime socialist or communist organizations are trying to influence our voting laws,” Rep.
Ralph Norman
(R-SC) told the Washington Examiner.

At a December 2021 event, Griffiths notably discussed his support for the Nicaraguan Revolution, as well as called for sanctions against the
U.S. government
. The revolution was led by the
socialist
Sandinista military regime, which
engaged
in mass
executions
and left hundreds of thousands of Nicaraguans homeless.

Still, the Washington mayor’s office has praised Griffiths and
honored
him in February 2020 for Black History Month.

Another activist involved with the Claudia Jones School is Kush Kharod, who granted an
interview
to People’s World in October 2022. The outlet labeled him a “leading organizer” for the voting rights coalition.

Kharod has appeared in
pictures
beside city councilmembers posted on social media by the Claudia Jones School, which said he and others sought to “confirm [lawmaker] support” for the voting rights bill. Kharod has thanked councilmembers on Twitter for being his “allies” in connection to the bill push.

“If you live in a place, if you ride the bus, and if you go to the library there, if you pay your taxes, if you work here, then you should have a say in what that local community looks like,” Kharod told the Washington Examiner in an interview. “There’s people living here for decades, through green card holders, visas, and various other statuses, that have never gotten the right to decide who their elected leaders are and the decisions they make.”

When asked about whether it’s cause for concern that the Claudia Jones School has ties to communism, Kharod said, “Yeah, I mean, I get that, and I get that fear.”

However, he is “honored” to organize with Griffiths and the school, he said, noting at another point in the interview that he is an independent voter.

“The D.C. Council’s bizarre and unlawful attempt to allow illegal aliens to vote in our nation’s capital is an absolute disgrace to democracy and our Constitution,” Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-GA) told the Washington Examiner. “In addition, it’s incredibly disturbing that an organization with considerable ties to the Communist Party is significantly influencing this effort.”

In June 2022, Kharod credited a man named Abel Amene for acting as a “co-organizer” in favor of the voting rights bill. Amene, who has the slogan #DefundThePolice in his
Twitter
bio, works with the Metro D.C. Democratic Socialists of America, according to the Washington Post.

“Thank you to CM @BrianneKNadeau @jackiecast5 @abel_amene @kushkharod and all the other tireless organizers for getting the Local Voting Rights Amendment Act through city council which now goes to the mayor’s desk!” the Claudia Jones School
tweeted
in October 2022, along with a picture of Nadeau, Griffiths, Kharod, and Amene at an event celebrating the bill’s passage.

Since the passage of the bill, some
Republicans
in Congress have criticized it. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Rep. James Comer (R-KY) claimed in January they will “soon” put forth a
resolution
that would overturn it.

“Allowing illegal immigrants to vote is an insult to every voter in America,” Cotton said. “Every single Democrat should be on the record about whether they support this insane policy.”

Norman told the Washington Examiner he supports the resolution, which would have to pass both chambers of
Congress
and be signed by President
Joe Biden
. Clyde also said he supports it.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

While the Claudia Jones School for Political Education did not reply to a request for comment, one member of the group told the Washington Examiner that Griffiths has a “very kind heart” and is “one of the hardest-working” people.

“He and the rest of us at the school worked tirelessly to ensure that as many people as possible can participate in the American dream, the rewards and the responsibilities such as voting in elections,” Katie Spellman wrote in an email.

The D.C. Council did not reply to a request for comment.