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News > World

Mayoral Candidate to Black Opposition: Go Back to Africa!

  • Congemi is considered a long-shot in the mayoral race.

    Congemi is considered a long-shot in the mayoral race. | Photo: Screenshot

Published 23 July 2017
Opinion

During his outburst, Congemi also told his rival's supporters that former U.S. President Barack Obama was “your reparations.” 

Controversial Florida mayoral candidate, Paul Congemi, directed racially charged comments at his opponent's supporters during a meeting.

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The 60-year-old Republican, who is contesting the St Petersburg mayoral race told black supporters of his rival Jesse Nevel to “go back to Africa” if they are not happy living in the US.

“My advice to you, if you don’t like it here in America, planes leave every hour from Tampa airport,” the candidate continued, then directing his comments to Mr. Nevel’s supporters. “Go back to Africa! Go back to Africa! Go back!”

Congemi – who is considered a long-shot in the race – also told his rival's supporters that former U.S. President Barack Obama was “your reparations”, during his outburst.

“Mr. Nevel, you and your people, you talk about reparations,” Congemi said. “The reparations that you talk about, Mr. Nevel, your people already got your reparations. Your reparations came in the form of a man named Barack Obama.”

“I’m not politically correct,” Congemi informed.

Nevel’s campaign is backed by the Uhuru Solidarity Movement, which holds the view that reparations are a precursor to discounting racial inequality.

Last year, a United Nations panel declared that the United States owed African Americans reparations for the country’s history of “enslavement, racial subordination and segregation, racial terrorism and racial inequality.” 

Congemi told The Washington Post that Nevel and the group that backs him are inept and “unhappy about the whole system in America.”

“I had never met Jesse Nevel until last night,” Congemi said. “It’s obvious he is a self-hating white man.”

Congemi revealed that he had been a lifelong Democrat who switched parties after then-President Obama announced he was in favor of same-sex marriage. He now supports Donald Trump.

Congemi was arrested for felony elder abuse in Jan.

Congemi's arrest

Congemi, in a similarly scandalous incident, was arrested for felony elder abuse in January.

The affidavit from the detainment detailed that Congemi’s 87-year-old mother, who was in his care, had bed sores that were so neglected her tailbone was visible.

“I wasn’t aware of that,” he said. "I set up the home health care and whatever.”

Police were contacted after the elderly woman was finally seen by medical providers. 

Congemi claimed that his mother had been receiving home health care, which he canceled due to cost. He added that he arranged for a replacement hospice to take over three days later.

“They weren’t satisfied for the three days," he explained. "They said [...] I should’ve had somebody here. But I was setting up people to come in. It takes a couple of days before new people come in.”

In 2009, Congemi made headlines after receiving a trespassing warning from a KFC for getting into an argument – with the fast food restaurant's employees – about his order.

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