David Duke

David Ernest Duke (born July 1, 1950) is a former Republican member of the Louisiana House of Representatives, a candidate in presidential primaries for both the Democratic and Republican parties, and former Grand Wizard of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan.^{[2][3][4][5][6][7]}

Duke is a self-styled "white nationalist", but his critics commonly refer to him as a white supremacist. He says he does not think of himself as a racist, however, stating that he is a "racial realist" and that he believes that "all people have a basic human right to preserve their own heritage".^[8] He speaks in favor of racial segregation and white separatism.^[9][10][11]

Duke has had one successful run for public office as a member of the Louisiana House. He has also made several unsuccessful bids for political office, including runs for the Louisiana Senate, U.S. Senate, U.S. House, Governor of Louisiana and twice for President of the United States. Duke was not the first former Klansman to run for governor of Louisiana: A. Roswell Thompson, who operated a taxi stand in New Orleans, ran in the Democratic primaries of both 1959 and 1963 on a staunchly segregationist platform.

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Youth and early adulthood

David Duke was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to David H. Duke and Maxine Duke. As an engineer for Shell Oil, the senior Duke frequently moved the family to numerous locations around the world. The Dukes spent a short period living in the Netherlands before they settled in Louisiana. In the late 1960s Duke met the leader of the white separatist National Alliance organization, William Pierce, who remained a life-long influence until Pierce's death in 2002. He joined the Ku Klux Klan in 1967.^[12]

Duke went on to study at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge and in 1970, he formed a White student group known as the White Youth Alliance, which was affiliated with the National Socialist White People's Party. That same year, he became well-known for a demonstration in which he wore swastika regalia to protest William Kunstler's appearance at Tulane University in New Orleans.

He was involved in the campus ROTC where he received awards, until he was expelled due to his radical beliefs. In 1971, he went to Laos to teach English to Laotian military officers and serve on cargo flights for Air America over the course of ten weeks.^[13]

Duke returned to LSU, graduating in 1974. He became famous on campus for wearing a Nazi uniform while picketing and holding parties on the anniversary of the birth of Adolf Hitler.^{[citation needed]} The year of his graduation, he formed the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. He attracted attention for trying to remove the overtly racist terminology of the Klan and turn it into a "white nationalist" political force.^[14] A follower of Duke, Thom Robb, changed the title of "Grand Wizard" to "National Director" and replaced the white robes of the Klan with business suits.^[15]

Using the pseudonym Dorothy Vanderbilt, Duke published a self-help book for women, titled Finders-Keepers, in 1976. The publication gives advice to women regarding vaginal exercises, fellatio, analingus, and anal sex.^[16][17] The manual is no longer in print and hard to find; however, the Times-Picayune, a New Orleans newspaper, managed to find a copy and trace the trail of its proceeds to the original author via the publisher. Duke compiled information from various women's self-help magazines, and published the book to raise money for his activities, though the book turned out to be a flop.^[13]

While working in the White Youth Alliance, Duke met Chloê Hardin, who also became active in the group. The two remained companions throughout college and married in 1974. Hardin is the mother of Duke's two daughters, Erika and Kristin. The couple divorced in 1984, and Hardin then moved to West Palm Beach to be closer to her family. There she became involved with Duke's Klan friend, Don Black, whom she married several years later.^[18]

In the early 1980s, he was allegedly heavily involved in gambling and stock market investments, a story that has been covered by the Times-Picayune, as well as by others.^[16]

Political campaigns

In 1975, Duke sought a seat in the Louisiana Senate as a Democrat. In 1988, he ran in the Democratic Party primary for President of the United States. After a poor showing in the Democratic primaries, he appeared on many state ballots as the nominee of the Populist Party and received 47,047 votes in the 1988 general election.

Challenging John Treen

It is alleged that Duke conducted a direct-mail appeal in 1987 using the identity and mailing-list of the Forsyth County Defense League, in Georgia, without permission, which League officials described as a fund-raising "scam" (detailed in The Rise of David Duke by Tyler Bridges).

In December 1988, he switched political affiliation from Democratic to Republican.

In 1989, he ran as a Republican for a seat representing Metairie in the Louisiana House of Representatives. He defeated fellow Republican John Treen, the brother of David C. Treen, the first Republican to be elected Governor of Louisiana since Reconstruction, by a narrow margin of 51-49 percent. Duke's victory came despite appeals in favor of John Treen's candidacy by President George H.W. Bush, former President Ronald Reagan, and other GOP notables.^[19]

In the latter years of the 1980s, Duke sought to revamp his appearance by undergoing plastic surgery. He has reportedly had his nose thinned and a chin augmentation. He also shaved off his moustache following his election to the Louisiana House of Representatives.^[20][21][22]

Challenging Senator J. Bennett Johnston, Jr.

In 1990, Duke challenged incumbent Democratic Senator Bennett Johnston in the open primary as a Republican and received 44 percent of the vote, including more than 60 percent of the white vote, according to exit polls^{[citation needed]}. Johnston was able to win re-election (and thus avoid a direct run-off with Duke) by receiving 53 percent of the vote. In a 2006 interview, Gideon Rachman (The Economist, the Financial Times) recalled how he interviewed Duke's campaign manager who expressed concern at the direction the campaign was taking. "The Jews just aren't a big issue in Louisiana. We keep telling David, stick to attacking the blacks. There's no point in going after the Jews, you just piss them off and nobody here cares about them anyway."^[23] At any rate, the Republican party-endorsed candidate, state Senator Bernard John "Ben" Bagert, Jr., of New Orleans, who had been supported by Iran-Contra figure Oliver North, withdrew from the race two days before the election. Distressed national Republican officials had anticipated Bagert losing and fragmenting Johnston's support; so funding for Bagert's campaign was halted, and he dropped out though his name remained on the ballot. ^[24] Republican Senator John C. Danforth of Missouri openly endorsed Democrat Johnston in the last week of the campaign.

Challenging Edwin Edwards and Buddy Roemer

Duke ran for Louisiana Governor in 1991 as a Republican candidate, despite getting an official reproval (letter expressing the GOP's disdain for Duke's activities) from the party. In the open primary, Duke was second to former governor Edwin Washington Edwards in votes; thus, he faced Edwards in a runoff. Duke received 32 percent of the vote in that initial round. Incumbent Republican Buddy Roemer came in third place with 27 percent of the vote. Duke had effectively killed Roemer's bid for re-election. While Duke had a sizable core constituency of devoted admirers who agreed with his positions, many others in Louisiana voted for him as a "protest vote" to register dissatisfaction with Louisiana's establishment politicians. Duke said he was the spokesman for the "White majority".^[25] He took a strong anti-establishment stance reminiscent of George C. Wallace, Jr., in the 1968 presidential campaign.

Between the primary and the runoff, called the "general election" under Louisiana election rules (in which all candidates run on one ballot, regardless of party), Duke enjoyed the peak of his notoriety. White supremacist and far-right organizations from around the country contributed to his campaign fund.^[26][27]

Duke's success garnered national media attention. He won few serious endorsements in Louisiana, but he gained the backing of the quixotic former Alexandria Mayor John K. Snyder. A massive campaign was launched against him, with celebrities and organizations donating thousands to Edwards' campaign to defeat Duke. Referencing Edwards' long-standing problem with accusations of corruption, popular bumper stickers read, "Vote for the Crook. It's Important," and "Vote for the Lizard, not the Wizard." When a reporter asked Edwards what he needed to do to triumph over Duke, Edwards replied with a smile, "Stay alive."

Duke lost the election by a wide margin. Edwards received 1,057,031 votes (61.2 percent). Duke's 671,009 votes represented 38.8 percent of the total. Duke claimed victory, saying, "I won my constituency. I won 55 percent of the white vote," which he had, as exit polls confirmed.^[13] In actuality, Duke had done little better in percent terms than the first major Republican gubernatorial candidate in modern Louisiana history, Charlton Lyons, had done in 1964.

Challenging Mary Landrieu

In 1996, Duke ran again for the U.S. Senate, when Johnston announced his retirement. He polled 141,489 votes (11.5 percent). Republican former state representative Louis E. "Woody" Jenkins of Baton Rouge and Democrat Mary Landrieu of New Orleans, the former state treasurer, went into the general election contest. Duke was fourth in the nine-person race.^[28]

Race to succeed Bob Livingston

Because of the sudden resignation of powerful Republican incumbent Bob Livingston in 1999, a special election was held in Louisiana's First Congressional District. Duke sought the seat as a Republican and received 19 percent of the vote. He finished a close third, thus failing to make the runoff. Republican state representative David Vitter (now a U.S. Senator) went on to defeat Republican ex-Governor David Treen. Also in the race was the New Orleans Republican leader Rob Couhig.

Challenging Bobby Jindal (as campaign manager to Roy Armstrong)

In 2004, Duke's bodyguard, roommate, and longtime associate by the name of Roy Armstrong made a bid for the United States House of Representatives to serve Louisiana's First Congressional District. Armstrong lost the election to Indian American Republican Bobby Jindal. Duke was acting as the head advisor of the campaign.^[29][30]

Controversies and Affiliations

Knights of the Ku Klux Klan

In 1974, David Duke founded the Louisiana-based Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, a Ku Klux Klan group, shortly after graduating from LSU. He first received broad public attention during this time, as he successfully marketed himself in the mid-1970s as a new brand of Klansman — well-groomed, engaged, and professional. Duke also reformed the organization, promoting nonviolence and legality, and, for the first time in the Klan's history, women were accepted as equal members and Catholics were encouraged to apply for membership.^[17][31]

NAAWP v. NAACP

In 1980, Duke left the Klan and formed the National Association for the Advancement of White People (NAAWP).

On May 20 2004, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) became outraged when it discovered that David Duke had chosen New Orleans to host his International NAAWP Conference during the NAACP's Big Easy Rally to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education decision.^[32]

Ernst Zündel and the Zundelsite

Duke has expressed his support for Ernst Zündel, a prominent Holocaust denier, and has made a number of statements in support of Zündel and his Holocaust denial campaign.^{[33][34][35][36][37]} Currently, Duke expresses concern for the aging Zündel on his website calling him a "political prisoner" after Zündel was deported from Canada to Germany.^[38] Zündel is being held in a German prison on charges of inciting the masses to ethnic hatred.^[39]

Interregional Academy of Personnel Management

In September 2005, Duke received a Ph.D. title in History from the Ukrainian Interregional Academy of Personnel Management (MAUP). His doctoral thesis was titled "Zionism as a Form of Ethnic Supremacism".^[40] Duke had previously received an honorary doctorate prior to his PhD. Interregional Academy of Personnel Management is regarded as the main source of anti-Semitic activity and publishing in Ukraine,^[41] and its "anti-Semitic actions" were "strongly condemned" by Foreign Minister of Ukraine Borys Tarasyuk and various Jewish interest and anti-racist organizations.^{[42][43][44][45]} Duke has been allowed to teach an international relations and a history course at MAUP.^[46]

Publications

My Awakening

In 1998, Duke published his autobiography My Awakening: A Path to Racial Understanding. The book details Duke's life and his social philosophies, especially his reasoning behind racial separation. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) review of the book refers to it as containing racist, anti-Semitic, sexist and homophobic views.^[47] In the book, Duke speaks against racial integration and in favor of white separatism, stating:

We (white nationalists) desire to live in our own neighborhoods, go to our own schools, work in our own cities and towns, and ultimately live as one extended family in our own nation. We shall end the racial genocide of integration. We shall work for the eventual establishment of a separate homeland for African Americans, so each race will be free to pursue its own destiny without racial conflicts and ill will.^[9]

On November 26 2007 Duke instigated a 21 day fundraising drive to raise the money to re-publish a new, updated edition of My Awakening: A Path to Racial Understanding where he must raise "$25,344 by a December 17th deadline for the printers". ^[48] Duke states that this drive is nessesary because the work "has become the most important book in the entire world in the effort to awaken our people for our heritage and freedom."

Jewish Supremacism

In 2003, David Duke published in Russia his latest controversial book: Jewish Supremacism: My Awakening on the Jewish Question. The book eschews the layout of his first autobiographical work, and instead purports to "examine and document elements of ethnic supremacism that have existed in the Jewish community from historical to modern times".^[49]

The book is similar to, and is the base to, his Ph.D dissertation paper 'Zionism as a Form of Ethnic Supremacism' and is dedicated to Israel Shahak, a critical author of what Shahak saw as supremacist religious teachings in modern Jewish culture. Duke denies the book is motivated by anti-Semitism.^[49]

Abraham Ribacoff, who read Dukes dissertation defended at 'Interregional Academy of Personnel Management' (MAUP), which the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) describes as a "University of Hate" ^[50], where Duke received his doctorate for his paper ^[51], stated that:

"No matter how many examinations David Duke has passed, the volume of his research, number of academic citations of his dissertation, or the cleverness of his literary style, his work libels the Jewish people. It concludes that Zionism is an ideology of ethnic supremacy and that Israel is a Jewish-supremacist state. It’s all a lie. In truth, Israel is the only true democracy in the Mideast." and went on to say that "Jews had to be concerned that in spite of the fact that David Duke fulfilled the technical academic requirements for the Doctorate, awarding such a degree and title was dangerous because a legitimate doctoral degree adds authority to his statements and writings. The fact that David Duke now has the formal title of Dr. David Duke is maddening. It seriously hampers the intellectual struggle against anti-Semitism. Someone has to do something about MAUP, it is a national disgrace for Ukraine." ^[52]

Originally published in English and Russian, the book has subsequently been translated internationally into Swedish, Ukrainian, Persian, Hungarian and most recently, Spanish. ^[53]

In 2007 an updated edition was published ^[54] which Duke purports to be a "fine quality hardback edition with full color dust jacket and it has a new index and a number of timely additions" ^[55]

Duke says that with the publication of The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy by professors John J. Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt his views had been "vindicated" and was "surprised how excellent [the paper] is". Duke has dedicated several radio webcasts to the book and the authors comparing it to his work 'Jewish Supremacism' ^{[56][57][58][59]}, although Walt has stated that, "I have always found Mr. Duke's views reprehensible, and I am sorry he sees this article as consistent with his view of the world". ^[60]

Whilst Duke says that his books "have become two of the two most influential and important books in the world."^[61] the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) refer to the book as anti-Semitic ^[62], Duke denies the book is motivated by anti-Semitism. ^[63]

At one time, the book was sold in the main lobby of the building of Russian State Duma (lower parliament). The first printing of 5,000 copies sold out in several weeks. Reacting to this, the ADL office in Moscow urged the Moscow prosecutor to open an investigation of Boris Mironov, the former Yeltsin's administration official and a prominent far-right politician, who wrote an introduction for the Russian edition of Jewish Supremacism, called "The Jewish Question Through the Eyes of an American". The ADL office also initiated a letter from a prominent Duma member to Russia’s Prosecutor General Vladimir Ustinov, urging that a criminal case be opened against the author and the Russian publisher of Duke’s book. The letter by Alexander Fedulov described the book as anti-Semitic and as violating Russian anti-hate crime laws. ^[64] In December 2001, Prosecutor's office closed the investigation of Boris Mironov and Jewish Supremacism. In a public letter, Yuri Biryukov, First Deputy of the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation, stated that a socially-psychological examination, which was conducted as a part of the investigation, concluded that the book and the actions of Boris Mironov did not break Russian hate-crime laws. ^[65]

In 2002, Duke traveled to eastern Europe to promote Jewish Supremacism and, in 2004, the book was published in the United States.

As of 2006, Duke claims that the book has been translated in 8 languages. ^[66] Some sources claim more than 500,000 copies have been sold worldwide. ^[67]

Internet commentary

Stormfront

In 1995, Don Black and Chloê Hardin, Duke's ex-wife, began a small bulletin board service or BBS by the name Stormfront. Today, Stormfront has become a premier online forum for neo-nazism, hate speech, racism, and antisemitism.^[68][69][70] Duke has an account on Stormfront which he uses to post articles from his own website, davidduke.com, as well as polling forum members for opinions and questions, in particular during his internet broadcasts. Duke has worked with Don Black on numerous projects including Operation Red Dog in 1980.^[71][72]

Davidduke.com

On February 5 2002, Duke said, on his Internet radio show, that Ariel Sharon was "the world's worst terrorist" and that Mossad was involved in the 9/11 attacks. The broadcast said that Zionists were behind the attacks in order to reduce sympathy for Muslim nations in the West, and that the number of Israelis killed in the attack was lower than it would be under normal circumstances, citing early assessments by The Jerusalem Post and "the legendary involvement of Israeli nationals in businesses at the World Trade Center". According to Duke, this indicated that Israeli security services had prior knowledge of the attack.^[73]

On August 5 2005 Duke published an article stating support for Cindy Sheehan, saying that "The Iraq war and her son’s death did not defend America from hatred or terrorism" and that "In fact, the war is massively increasing hatred and terrorism. For every one terrorist killed in Iraq, we are creating thousands more who hate and want to hurt America and Americans. This is the surest way to lose the war on terror not win it."^[74]

Public appearances

Public address in Damascus

On November 24, 2005, Duke visited Damascus, Syria, addressing a rally which was broadcast on Syrian television, and later giving an interview.^[75] During the rally, he referred to Israel as a "war-mongering country", adding that "Washington, New York and London and many other capitals of the world" are "occupied by the Zionists."^[76]

After speaking to the Syrian people, Duke was interviewed, where he said that Israel "makes the Nazi state look very, very moderate." Syrian parliament member Muhammad Habash replied that Duke's visit gave Syrians a "new and very positive view of the average American."^[77][78][75]

Comments in the media

Since 2005, Duke has appeared three times on "Current Issues," a Lafayette, Louisiana–based television show hosted and produced by Palestinian-American Hesham Tillawi, which has recently been picked up by Bridges TV. Show host Tillawi gave Duke the opportunity to discourse at length about his beliefs about Jewish supremacism. On a show in October 2005, Duke claimed that Jewish extremists are responsible for undermining the morality of America and are attempting to "wash the world in blood."^[79]

After John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt's paper on The Israel Lobby appeared in March 2006, Duke praised the paper in a number of articles on his website, on his March 18 Live Web Radio Broadcast, and on MSNBC's March 21 Scarborough Country program.^[80] According to the New York Sun, Duke said in an email, "It is quite satisfying to see a body in the premier American University essentially come out and validate every major point I have been making since even before the war even started." Duke added that "the task before us is to wrest control of America's foreign policy and critical junctures of media from the Jewish extremist Neocons that seek to lead us into what they expectantly call World War IV."

Walt responded: "I have always found Mr. Duke's views reprehensible, and I am sorry he sees this article as consistent with his view of the world."^[81]

Conferences

Duke organized a gathering of "European Nationalists" who signed the New Orleans Protocol on May 29, 2004. The signatories agreed to avoid infighting among far-right racialists.

On June 3 2005, Duke co-chaired a conference named "Zionism As the Biggest Threat to Modern Civilization" in Ukraine, sponsored by the Interregional Academy of Personnel Management (MAUP). The conference was attended by several notable Ukrainian public figures and politicians, and writer Israel Shamir (accused of anti-Semitism by critics).[1]

According to Duke, Swedish police thwarted an attempted assassination against him, in August 2005, while Duke was speaking in Sweden. An anonymous tip to a Swedish radio station led police to the discovery of a powerful explosive device hidden near the podium where Duke was to address a group of Swedish nationalists.^[83]

On the weekend of June 8-10, 2006, Duke attended as a speaker at the international "White World's Future" conference in Moscow, which was coordinated and hosted by Pavel Tulaev.^[84]

On December 11-13, 2006, Duke attended the International Conference to Review the Global Vision of the Holocaust in Tehran, Iran, opened by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, stating "The Holocaust is the device used as the pillar of Zionist imperialism, Zionist aggression, Zionist terror and Zionist murder."^[85]

Guilty plea and incarceration

David Duke pleaded guilty to filing a false tax return under 26 U.S.C. § 7206 and mail fraud under 18 U.S.C. § 1341 in December 2002.^[86]

Four months later, Duke was sentenced to 15 months in prison, and he served the time in Big Spring, Texas. He was also fined US $10,000, ordered to cooperate with the IRS, and to pay money still owed for his 1998 taxes. Following his release in May 2004, he stated that his decision to take the plea bargain was motivated by the bias that he perceived in the United States federal court system and not his guilt. He said he felt the charges were contrived to derail his political career and discredit him to his followers, and that he took the safe route by pleading guilty and receiving a mitigated sentence, rather than pleading not guilty and potentially receiving the full sentence.

Duke pled guilty to a six-year scheme to dupe thousands of his followers by asking for donations. Through postal mail, Duke later appealed to his supporters that he was about to lose his house and his life savings. Prosecutors claimed that Duke raised hundreds of thousands of dollars in this campaign. Prosecutors also claimed he sold his home at a hefty profit, had multiple investment accounts, and spent much of his money gambling at casinos.^{[87][88][89][90]}

The entire file of court documents related to this case can be found at The Smoking Gun website, including details on the December 12, 2002 guilty plea to federal charges that he filed a false tax return and committed mail fraud.^[91]

Don Black claims that Duke was targeted in this way by the government as was Al Capone to discredit him.^[92]

New Orleans Protocol

Shortly after his release from prison, Duke organized a weekend gathering of "European Nationalists", in the vein of White nationalism, in New Orleans, Louisiana. In an attempt to overcome the splintering and division that had followed the death of William Pierce in 2002, he presented a unity proposal for peace within the movement and a better image amongst outsiders. His proposal was accepted and is now known as the "New Orleans Protocol". It pledges adherents to a pan-European outlook, recognizing national and ethnic allegiance, but stressing the value of all European peoples. It has three provisions:^[93][94]

1. "Zero tolerance for violence."
2. "Honorable and ethical behavior in relations with other signatory groups. This includes not denouncing others who have signed this protocol. In other words, no enemies on the right."
3. "Maintaining a high tone in our arguments and public presentations."

Those who signed the pact on May 29, 2004 include Duke, Paul Fromm, Don Black, Willis Carto, Kevin Alfred Strom and John Tyndall (signing as an individual, not on behalf of his British National Party.)^[93]

Election history

References

Works and filmography

• David Duke's official web site
• Duke, David "Jewish Supremacism [2]" (Free Speech Pr, 2003; 350 pages) ISBN 1-892796-05-8
• Duke, David "My Awakening" [3] (Free Speech Books, 1998; 736 pages) ISBN 1-892796-00-7
• David Duke at the Internet Movie Database
• European-American Unity and Rights Organization (EURO), David Duke, President
• "The truth about David Duke" by one of Duke's European Friends
• "The Federal Persecution of David Duke" by Duke's childhood friend Don Black
• Federal Indictment of David Duke on mail fraud and filing false tax return
• "Ex-Klan Leader Is Popular in Europe, Mideast, Even as He Heads to Jail Here" Times-Picayune, New Orleans April 13, 2003 by John McQuaid,
• Attitudes of Mississippi college students toward David Duke before and after seeing the film 'Who Is David Duke?'
• David Duke in Damascus to express solidarity with Syria November 22, 2005.
• Bridges, Tyler "The Rise of David Duke" (Mississippi University Press, 1995; 300 pages) ISBN 0-87805-678-5
• Rose; Douglas D. The Emergence of David Duke and the Politics of Race University of North Carolina Press. 1992
• Zatarain, Michael "David Duke: Evolution of a Klansman" (Pelican Publishing Company, 1990; Gretna, Louisiana; 304 pages) ISBN 0-88289-817-5