Pennsylvania Democratic state senator Sen. Jimmy Dillon from Philadelphia was accused by Republicans of posting racist and homophobic remarks on social media over a decade ago. The Pennsylvania Senate Republican Campaign Committee released a statement alleging offensive posts on Twitter made by Dillon under the account for his basketball academy, Hoops 24-7. The SRCC provided screenshots of the tweets, which included the use of the n-word, jokes targeting African Americans, and derogatory comments about the LGBTQ and Asian communities.
In response, Dillon denied writing the tweets, claiming he is not a big social media user and that if any offensive posts were made, it was by someone else on the Hoops 24-7 account. Dillon, who is seeking reelection, emphasized his focus on standing up to extremists and protecting women’s reproductive rights.
The SRCC called for Dillon’s condemnation by Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa and the Senate Democrat Campaign Committee, citing his past actions as disqualifying for representing all constituents in Northeast Philadelphia. The campaign spokesperson for Dillon dismissed the accusations as a distraction by “MAGA Republicans” and emphasized Dillon’s advocacy for Black and LGBTQ Pennsylvanians throughout his career. The Senate Democratic Campaign Committee also denied the allegations, pointing to Dillon’s record of supporting marginalized communities. The origin of the offensive tweets remains unclear, with the Hoops 24-7 account frequently sharing posts from Dillon’s personal account.
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