Maryland Democratic Party Calls on Andy Harris to Rescind Endorsement of Alleged Child Molester and White Supremacist Roy Moore

Annapolis, MD — Today, the Maryland Democratic Party called on Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD) to withdraw his endorsement of white supremacist and Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Alabama Roy Moore in light yesterday’s bombshell report that Moore initiated relationships with several teenage girls.  In the hours since the report, several Republican leaders—including Governor Mitt Romney, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and Senator John McCain—have called on Moore to withdraw from the race, yet Harris remains silent. 

Harris joins Anne Arundel County Councilman Michael Peroutka as the second Maryland Republican establishment figure struggling to explain his endorsement of Moore’s bigotry. 

“Congressman Andy Harris owes it to his constituents and all decent Marylanders to withdraw his endorsement of Roy Moore,” said Maryland Democratic Party spokesperson Fabion Seaton.  “It is clear that Roy Moore’s extremist views have found a home in the Maryland Republican establishment, which is just one example of why the Republican brand is toxic in Maryland.”

In addition to his endorsement, Harris donated $2,000 to Moore’s senate campaign.

According to press reports, Republican Anne Arundel County Councilman Michael Peroutka has been one of Moore’s biggest donors since the early 2000s—donating at least $622,000 to Moore’s campaigns since 2004.  Peroutka was a member of the white supremacist group, the League of the South, until weeks before the 2014 general election, and remains a financial backer of Maryland Republicans.

Moore has been linked to the white supremacist groups.  In 2005, a foundation operated by Mooreaccepted a $1,000 donation from white supremacist group, Foundation to Defend the First Amendment.  In 1995, Moore addressed the white supremacist group, the Council for Conservative Citizens (CCC), which was cited in Dylann Roof’s racist manifesto.  According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, CCC is the nation’s largest white supremacist group.