Roy Moore’s wife defends him against anti-Semitism: “One of our attorneys is a Jew”

Kayla Moore, the wife of controversial Alabama Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore, tried to defend her husband against claims of sexism, racism, and anti-Semitism Monday night. At one point, she declared, “One of our attorneys is a Jew.”

Not particularly helpful.

Her efforts at a rally in Midland City, Alabama, did not accomplish her ends. In a riff against “fake news,” she managed to do more damage than good. Her comments, per the New York Times:

Fake news says he doesn’t like women in leadership positions, yet he supports me as the president of the Foundation for Moral Law that he started 15 years ago today. So happy birthday, Foundation for Moral Law. Our chairman is also a woman and a prominent officeholder in the bank, not to mention all of the women that work in our campaign, and there are many.

Fake news would also have you think that my husband doesn’t support the black community. Yet my husband appointed the very first black marshal to the Alabama Supreme Court, Mr. Willie James. When he first took office as chief justice many years ago, he brought with him three people from Etowah County; two were black, and one of them is here tonight. We have many friends that are black, and we also fellowship with them in church and in our home.

Fake news would tell you that we don’t care for Jews. I tell you all this because I’ve seen it all, so I just want to set the record straight while they’re here. One of our attorneys is a Jew. We have very close friends that are Jewish and rabbis, and we also fellowship with them.

Kayla Moore’s comments about her attorney, “a Jew,” specifically raised eyebrows.

Roy Moore was accused of anti-Semitism earlier this month when he seemed to imply that billionaire investor and liberal donor George Soros, who is Jewish, would go to hell. “He’s still going to the same place that people who don’t recognize God and morality and accept his salvation are going,” he said. “And that’s not a good place.”

Moore faces allegations of sexual misconduct by multiple women, including some who say he romantically pursued them and abused them while they were teenagers and he was in his 30s.

In November, the Washington Post published the accounts of four women with stories about Moore, including that of Leigh Corfman, who said that in 1979, when she was just 14, Moore (who was 32 at the time) engaged in two sexually inappropriate meetings with her. Other accusers have since come forward.

Moore has denied all of the allegations against him and sought to cast himself as a victim being targeted because of his Christian faith. Beyond the accusations of sexual misconduct, Moore has also said Muslims should not be allowed to serve in Congress, suggested “homosexual conduct” should be illegal, and falsely asserted to a Vox reporter that some Midwest communities lived under Sharia law. In September, he said the last time America was great was during slavery.

Alabama voters head to the polls on Tuesday to close out what has been an unexpectedly close — and closely watched — race.