ICYMI: News Organizations Discredit Abigail Spanberger’s False Accusations

WASHINGTON – In case you missed it, Roll Call and The Washington Examiner reported extensively this afternoon on VA-07 Democratic Candidate Abigail Spanberger’s blatant attempt to hide from voters that she worked at a school that produced some of the world’s most dangerous terrorists. Read excerpts from both reports below:

Ryan-Linked PAC Followed Rules in Obtaining Sensitive Documents About Virginia Democrat

Roll Call
By Griffin Connolly
8/29/18

The super PAC affiliated with Speaker Paul D. Ryan pushed back Wednesday against Virginia Democratic congressional candidate Abigail Spanberger’s accusation that the group obtained an unredacted copy of her federal security clearance application through illegal channels.

Instead, documents reviewed by Roll Call show the conservative opposition research group America Rising — which works with the Congressional Leadership Fund, the super PAC in question — received Spanberger’s government files through a Freedom of Information Act request.

“CLF follows the letter of the law in examining any candidate’s background,” CLF spokeswoman Courtney Alexander said in a statement. “Ms. Spanberger was no different.”

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CLF’s lawyers issued a response cease-and-desist letter of their own Wednesday afternoon, threatening legal action against Spanberger for “leveling false and irresponsible charges” about how CLF obtained the SF-86.

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America Rising’s Pounder said the “real reason Spanberger is so upset is official government documents show a past employer she didn’t want voters to know about.”

On her security clearance application, Spanberger disclosed that she had previously taught AP English Literature at a private Islamic school in Alexandria, Virginia, funded by the royal family of Saudi Arabia. The school earned the nickname “Terror High” after the 2005 class valedictorian later admitted that he had joined al-Qaida and was sentenced to 30 years in prison for plotting to kill President George W. Bush.

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Yes, it’s relevant that a Virginia Democrat taught at a school dubbed ‘terror high’
The Washington Examiner
By Phillip Wegmann
8/29/18

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The PAC obtained information about how the former CIA officer had worked at the Islamic Saudi Academy, a high school in Northern Virginia which has graduated so many prominent Islamic terrorists that the Associated Press once dubbed “terror high,” and a bipartisan group of senators once sought to shut it down.

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But the Congressional Leadership Fund didn’t break into federal offices to steal documents. They filed a Freedom of Information Request. The Congressional Leadership Fund didn’t dox Spanberger either, carefully redacting her personal information. They just revealed facts about her career that potential constituents might want answers about.

This should serve as Spanberger’s introduction to politics and to political service. Details about a candidate’s past absolutely should be made public, no matter how embarrassing. And here, the details are absolutely relevant.

Just ask Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. The New York Democrat was so concerned about the Islamic Saudi Academy back in 2005 that he called for a full-scale probe of the institution. He did it for good reason too. One of the school’s valedictorians, Ahmed Omar Abu Ali, later joined al Qaeda and was indicted for plotting to assassinate President George W. Bush. He is currently serving 30 years in prison.

Two of the schools’ other students, the New York Post reported at the time, were denied entry into Israel in 2001. According to authorities, the boys were carrying “farewell notes,” a tell-tale sign of a suicide attack. The pair were later arrested.…