Laura Loomer
| Laura Elizabeth Loomer | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 21, 1993 Arizona, U.S. |
| Residence | New York City |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Mount Holyoke College Barry University |
| Occupation | Journalist, activist |
| Political party | Republican |
Laura Elizabeth Loomer (born May 21, 1993) is a right-wing American political activist and Internet personality. She was a reporter for Canada's The Rebel Media during the summer of 2017, resigning that September.[1][2][3][4][5] Prior to June 2017, she worked for Project Veritas with James O'Keefe.[2]
In 2020, she was the Republican nominee to represent Florida's 21st congressional district in the 2020 United States House of Representatives elections, losing to incumbent left-wing Democrat Lois Frankel.
Contents
Early life
Loomer was raised in Arizona by a Jewish father who taught her to identify as "ethnically, culturally and politically Jewish." As a youngster, Loomer was teased for being overweight and for having a "Jewish nose." She attended Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts, but left after one semester because she felt targeted for being conservative; she claimed she ate every single meal by herself. Loomer later attended Barry University in Miami, Florida.[6]
Career
Loomer is a former employee of James O'Keefe, a conservative activist known for producing undercover video investigations.[7] Until her resignation in September 2017, Loomer was the New York correspondent for the conservative Canadian news site The Rebel Media, nicknamed The Rebel, that has been referred to as the "Canadian Breitbart."[6][8]
Public appearances
2015
In March 2015, Loomer used a concealed video camera to record her conversations with Barry University officials, discussing the idea of starting a club called "Sympathetic Students in Support of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria." The official responded by asking her to change the name to "Students in Support of the Middle East." The video of her encounter was released by James O'Keefe with Project Veritas.[6] O'Keefe alleged that Loomer's video captured a university official unfazed at the notion of starting an on-campus organization that would support ISIS.[9] Shortly after the edited video was released by O'Keefe, Loomer was suspended by Barry University for violating the student code of conduct rules; criminal charges were also filed against her for taping university officials without their knowledge or consent.[10] At the time, Loomer was an honors student in her senior year, the president of Barry University's Young Republicans Club, and majoring in communications.[11]
In July 2015, Loomer and two other women posing as supporters of Hillary Clinton attempted to lure staffers for the Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign into accepting illegal cash donations. A Clinton official said that the campaign had complied with the law.[12]
2016
On November 8, 2016, the day of the national election, Loomer went to a polling station dressed in a burqa and asked for a ballot under the name of Huma Abedin.[2]
2017
In June 2017, Loomer gave a speech to a crowd of anti-sharia marchers in New York City and condemned "liberals who aligned themselves with sharia law."[13] Loomer put a burqa on the Fearless Girl statue adjacent to the Merrill Lynch building.[14]
On June 7, 2017, at a Chelsea Clinton book signing event in New York City, Loomer asked Chelsea to sign a copy of her new children's book She Persisted to Juanita Broaddrick, one of former President Bill Clinton's most persistent accusers. The former first daughter refused to sign it.[15]
On November 1, 2017, Loomer tweeted that she was late to a conference because she could not find a "non Muslim cab or @Uber @lyft driver". Following this, both Uber and Lyft announced that she had violated their guidelines and was banned from using their services.[16]
Julius Caesar play disruption
On June 16, 2017, Loomer disrupted the Shakespeare in the Park production of Julius Caesar in New York City, by walking on stage during the live performance shortly after Caesar was assassinated.[17] Before being escorted off the stage by security, Loomer shouted "Stop the normalization of political violence against the right! This is unacceptable!"[18] The play portrayed a "Trump-like" Caesar with a Slovenian-accented wife.[19] Loomer, who is pro-Trump, was arrested for disorderly conduct and trespassing.[20][21] The Public Theater responded by saying although they're "champions" of the First Amendment, the disruption was caused by "social media".[22] On June 19, 2017, Alyssa Rosenberg of The Washington Post wrote that she didn't believe Loomer was genuinely offended by the play, that she disrupted it for attention and to collect a $1,000 bounty that was offered to anyone who would disrupt the production.[23]
On June 19, 2017, as a guest on the Fox News program Hannity, Loomer admitted she knew that disrupting the Shakespeare in the Park play would result in criminal charges against her. During the interview, Loomer compared the "Trump-like" Caesar assassination to a May 2017 video of former CNN host Kathy Griffin holding a mask of a bloody severed head of President Donald Trump, Loomer called the Caesar play and the Griffin video "assassination porn" and accused the "left" of a systematic pattern of using free speech and art as a pretext to promote violence against President Donald Trump and the "right".[24]
On June 20, 2017, The Daily Beast reported that 'Free Laura', a website for soliciting donations for her arrest, was purchased by Loomer's employer Ezra Levant, the owner of The Rebel Media, six hours before the play started, according to domain records.[25] Loomer was also promoting separately a WeSearchr page for donations, that had received $12,385 from 241 contributors, receiving more money in donations than the normal penalties for the charges she was facing.[26]
2018
In January 2018, an associate recorded Loomer riding the service elevator Stephen Paddock used to transport numerous firearms used in the 2017 Las Vegas Shooting. Loomer rode the elevator from the ground floor to the 32nd floor four times without permission of the hotel and was not engaged by Mandalay Bay hotel security. Wynn had previously said, "No public person has ever ridden a service elevator (at a Wynn property) unless they were accompanied by security."[27]
Loomer attended the March 2018 trial of Noor Salman under press credentials, which were revoked after Loomer harassed Salman's family. Loomer returned to the trial the next day and was removed by a U.S. marshal.[28]
Loomer disrupted an event promoting James Comey's book A Higher Loyalty. She was taken out of the building by security.[29]
After the May 2018 Santa Fe High School shooting, Loomer implied on Twitter that the tragedy was actually staged.[30]
References
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