Clinton fundraiser out for film connection
Posted: Sunday, March 09, 2008 6:29 PM by Domenico Montanaro
From NBC's David Gelles
Marc Ambinder reports on his blog that there's one less HillRaiser out there...
A Turkish-American Hill-Raiser who 'who financed a film that depicted an American Jew trading in Iraqi body parts' has
been cast out of the Clinton circle of trust, according to a report by
the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Clinton adviser Ann Lewis told the JTA
that the campaign was 'unaware' of Mehmet Celebi's involvement with the
film. But wait -- a Google search suggests that the campaign was
contacted by the New York Post on 2/11 and declined comment...
FULL STORIES BELOW
FROM THE
JEWISH TELEGRAPHIC AGENCY:
The Clinton campaign is no longer taking contributions from a Turkish American who financed a film that depicted an American Jew trading in Iraqi body parts.
Mehmet Celebi had been listed on the presidential campaign website of U.S. Sen. Hilalry Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) as a "Hill-raiser," someone who had raised more than $100,000 for her presidential bid. Celebi had co-produced "Valley of the Wolves: Iraq," a 2006 film based on a popular Turkish TV series about a crack Turkish combat unit.
The film depicts a Jewish American doctor harvesting organs from prisoners.
"We were unaware of Mr. Celebi's involvement in this film and we obviously do not agree with it," Ann Lewis, a senior adviser to the campaign said Friday in response to a query from JTA. Lewis, who plays a lead role for the campaign in dealing with the Jewish community, added: "He is no longer raising money for this campaign."
PAGE SIX
February 11, 2008 -- SEN. Hillary Clinton has gotten cozy with a Turkish-born businessman whom some have described as anti-Semitic. Clinton's campaign Web site identifies Mehmet Celebi as one of her "HillRaisers" - someone who has raised at least $100,000 for her presidential bid. This despite Celebi's controversial producing credit on "Valley of the Wolves: Iraq" - a 2006 movie that depicted a Jewish doctor removing the vital organs of civilian prisoners to sell to wealthy transplant patients overseas. "In accordance with the old anti-Semitic canard, the movie portrays Jewish-American doctors as forcibly harvesting organs from Muslims to give them to Jews," noted Detroit lawyer and columnist Debbie Schlussel observes on her blog. Clinton spokesman Jay Carson didn't get back to us for comment.
