DuWayne Gregory hits Peter King over Facebook deletions
Congressman Pete King attends the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, on Monday, July 18, 2016. Credit: Newsday / J. Conrad Williams Jr.
Legis. DuWayne Gregory D-Amityville), presiding officer of the Suffolk County Legislature, last week criticized Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford) for calling protesters outside his Philadelphia hotel “slime ball demonstrators” and “vulgar misfits” and then deleting critics’ comments on his Facebook page.
King posted to his Facebook page that he was confronted with a “mob of slime ball demonstrators” gathered outside his hotel Wednesday night, where he was attending a GOP retreat. “As soon as they saw us, the rabble started screaming and chanting vile and stupid obscenities.” King said Philadelphia police had to get his group through the barricades into the hotel.
Gregory said King should show more respect for protesters.
“As Americans, we all should value our First Amendment rights of freedom of speech,” said Gregory in a news release from his county office. “I would hope that he would show more restraint in the future.”
“I have no problem at all people demonstrating, no problem at all people protesting,” King said. “I have every right to call them the lowlifes that they are.”
As for deleting comments on his Facebook page, he noted that he pays for the page with campaign funds. “If people are on it, attacking me, why should I give them a forum? They can get their own page.”
Gregory ran unsuccessfully against King in November.
David Schwartz covers environmental issues. A native Long Islander, he's worked at Newsday since 2013.
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