Dana Leibelson, THE HUFFINGTON POST
WASHINGTON (The Huffington Post) — A Las Vegas campaign event for GOP presidential contender Jeb Bush came to a sudden end this week as activists, unhappy with how Bush addressed a question on racial injustice, chanted, “Black Lives Matter.”
After the confrontation, the Bush campaign said the candidate had privately met with advocates for the movement before the event, an assertion that appeared in multiple articles about the disruption.
But that description is misleading, The Huffington Post has learned.
There was a meeting, but no activists from the Black Lives Matter movement participated. Instead, Bush met with a local elected official, a GOP lobbyist and a staffer from an anti-poverty organization.
Kevin Hooks, president and CEO of the Las Vegas Urban League, told HuffPost he set up the meeting at the Bush campaign’s behest. His organization focuses on providing job opportunities for low-income residents. Hooks said that while he respects Bush for reaching out, he would not characterize the people at the meeting as Black Lives Matter activists. “It’s a little disingenuous,” he said.
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