News German Press Agency: Hutcherson Told Latvian Officials He Represented the White House
posted by on March 28 at 12:05 PM
Deutsche Presse-Agentur, the German Press Agency, has a report out today that adds further details to Ken Hutcherson’s controversial visit to Latvia.
One of the central questions about this visit is whether Hutcherson passed himself off as a White House envoy without White House permission, a possible federal crime. DPA reports:
While in the country [Hutcherson] met with senior officials, including the minister for integration and the head of the parliamentary human-rights committee - both of whom believed him to be linked with [the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives].“Yes, he is working as this organization’s envoy,” said the head of Latvia’s parliamentary human-rights committee, Janis Smits.
“He said he was a representative of the office. The ministry of integration should be open to all, so I generally trust people and don’t ask them if they have their credentials,” added Integration Minister Oskars Kastens. Hutcherson was carrying a file bearing the US coat of arms, he said.
In this DPA story, Hutcherson continues to claim that the White House was behind him, although he appears to now be backpedaling on his claim that he asked for, and received, the title of “Special Envoy” from the White House:
White House officials contacted by Deutsche Presse-Agentur denied that Hutcherson had any link with the office.Hutcherson “was not appointed ‘special envoy’ by [the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives],” said White House spokeswoman Alyssa McClenning.
He has no official status or links with the body which would legitimately allow him to claim to represent the White House on a foreign visit, she added.
Hutcherson responded angrily to the comment, saying that he “did not appreciate being called a flat liar” and that the White House press office were unaware of his role.
“I never asked for a title: I asked for the power, the clout… The people in the press office don’t know what’s been going on in the upper office,” he said.
Perhaps. It also appears that Hutcherson does not remember what he wrote to his followers on March 6…
March 6, 2007Dear Prayer Warrior,
Thank you for praying. What a blessing in answered prayer!
I just received the Special Commission from Faith Based regarding Family Values, Adoption, Religious Freedom, and Medical Relief. The head of Faith Based is contacting people in the State Department to follow up on the Ambassadorship.
Receiving a Special Commission is a HUGE answer to prayer. Thank you for your continued prayers,
Pastor Hutch
…and on March 16:
March 16, 2007Dear Prayer Warrior,
Thank you for praying for my call to the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. It went very well.
I was honored to receive a commission by the White House Office of Faith Based and Community Initiatives as a Special Envoy in the following areas: Adoptions, Family Values, Religious Freedom, and Medical Relief, which allowed me to meet with the Latvian government….
Continue to pray that the new influence that God has granted through me serving as a special envoy for the White House will be effectively used as I deal with the adoption issue in the United States this next week.
Your Pastor,
Hutch
This just proves he will do anything to feed his huge ego, including lying and breaking the law. I hope this bigot does jail time.
Who gives a rat's ass about this fat, black, hate filled, bigot?
The only reason he's in this space is because you put him there.
Left alone, to his own devices, he will self destruct, unseen and unmarked by the real world, of which he is no part.
Give it up, fundies of all stripes are going extinct.
Old Timer @2: He is not going to go away by ignoring him, evidenced by his numerous followers. He is dangerous and must be fought every step of the way. He's trying to repeal gay rights laws here and is taking his hatemongering overseas as well. Ignore him at your peril.
It's now clear that, unless the White House is lying (always a possibility) Hutcherson has lied to officials of the Latvian government, to various press outlets around the world, and to his parishioners about this matter. My question: what will it take for his parishioners to hold their "executive pastor" responsible for lying to them?
@2: I really wish that you were right, even kind of right, but you're flat wrong. "Fundies of all stripes are going extinct"...? What gives you that impression? Fundies from the Right may be losing political power right now but that doesn't mean they're going away old timer. I see plenty of them from the Left too.
I sure hope that people continue paying attention to this and keep pushing for consequences. Maybe once he's a convicted felon the Lake Washington School District will kick his intolerant homophobic church out of their school...
I'm totally dying to know if the FBI or Justice Department is actually investigating this, or just trying to ignore it. They won't say, of course. But I eagerly await the day when SLOG announces Hutch's indictment. That will be a sweet, sweet day.
It's pretty obvious what happened: the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Iniatives offered Hutch one of their plastic stars, which has about as much authority as the wings they used to give little kids on airplanes, and he went off thinking he was an official agent of US policy. The guy at FBCI may even think he's an agent of official US policy.
But the guys upstairs, in the REAL government, think these guys are all useful idiots. They're probably pissed that one of them was stupid enough to go off to Latvia and pal around with right-wing brownshirts and get himself in the papers.
The thing to go after now isn't Hutch, it's the FBCI and their bosses. What's the name of the dweeb Hutch claims to have met there? Why isn't he talking? I would really like to have someone ask Tony Snow "Is the President aware that his Office of FBCI is giving out special envoy status to people who are then going out and officially representing the US Government with criminal organizations in Latvia?"
Hutcherson is a figure in the debate over LGBT civil rights in Washington State. We have to deal with that reality.
To Eli's post above, there is one important point that I haven't seen emphasized enough.
It is not just the fact that the WHOFB&CI says they did not give Hutcherson "Special Envoy" status, it's the fact that they have *never* given *anyone* "Special Envoy" status.
Appointments of this type come from the White House Office of Presidential Appointments or the Department of State. The process for approval of such an appointment depends on several factors including the subject that the "Special Envoy" status is granted for. They can involve direct Presidential appointment (what is implied here), input from the Department of State and the National Security Agency, and Senate approval and confirmation.
"Special Envoy" status ultimately is issued by the U.S. State Department. There are no formal credentials for "Special Envoys" so the best proof is a Press Release from the Department of State outlining the appointee and the scope of their appointment.
Fact: The WHOFB&CI alone has no power to make anyone a "Special Envoy" let alone Reverend Hutcherson.
Fact: There is no evidence of an appointment by the President or the Department of State.
Fact: There is no Press Release confirming the appointee and their scope of responsibility.
Fact: The alleged proof that Reverend Hutcherson has promised still has not been produced.
Fact: Multiple sources report Reverend Hutcherson presented himself representing the White House while in Latvia.
Fact: Multiple e-mails exist where Hutcherson claims status as a “Special Envoy” here in the United States.
Bring on the investigations.
Document the fundings of fact.
Bring on the appropriate charges.
~GC
P.s. Complaints have been lodged with the FBI, the Office of Inspector General and the Bureau of Diplomatic Security at the U.S. Department of State. Now it's just a case of wait and see.
#2 - Wow, he's not just a religious homophobic bigot and a liar but black AND fat to boot, damn!
Agreed with Fnarf completely, but I'm also looking forward to the moment when he finally self destructs... this is classic, not only do we hopefully see the demise of our local prideful bigot, but he smacks the Bush Administration and the Faith Based Glee Club too! Neat!
And woof @ #9. :)
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