An official in a Massachusetts district attorney’s office remains on paid leave nearly three months after his comment pushing antisemitic tropes and praising Nation of Islam’s leader Louis Farrakhan were brought to light.
True-See Allah, the director of community engagement/strategic partnerships at the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office — which covers Boston — was placed on paid leave on June 16 after it was revealed he said in a 2016 interview that his minister and mentor wouldn’t be friends with "a Jewish guy that’s got short arms and deep pockets."
The office’s chief of communications, James Borghesani, said Monday that the review of Allah is still ongoing and that "it will take as long as it takes," reported Focus on Western Islamism.
"I’m not commenting any further," he added. "When we have an announcement to make, we’ll make an announcement."
The DA’s office did not return Fox News' multiple requests for comment, and Allah did not immediately respond.
Allah was paid as recently as Aug. 26, according to the website of the Massachusetts Office of the Comptroller.
"True-See Allah’s bigotry is a matter of public record," StopAntisemitism Executive Director Liora Rez told Fox News. "He has affirmed his allegiance to Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam’s poisonous racism on multiple occasions, and refused to renounce them when given the opportunity."
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"The District Attorney’s office should proceed expeditiously with their investigation rather than leaving a confirmed antisemite on the payroll at the taxpayers' expense," she added.
Other organizations are awaiting the review's completion before weighing in.
"We respect the DA’s internal process and will await its outcome before commenting further," Jeremy Burton, the chief executive office of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston told Fox News.
The comment was made during a podcast as part of a story he recounted about his former mentor and Boston-based Nation of Islam minister, Don Muhammad, who helped him get hired at a Reebok store.
"So I did a couple of temp jobs and then Minister Don had a, I want to say, a colleague, um, an acquaintance," he said. "I ain't gonna call him a friend 'cause he's a Jewish guy that's got short arms and deep pockets, but he was basically in charge of bringing Reebok to the Washington Park Plaza."
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Prior to the comment's revelation, Allah garnered attention for other statements in interviews and social media posts, including praise for Farrakhan. In one 2020 post, he called Farrakhan the "Undisputed Champion for all of humanity" with a photo of the two of them.
The Anti-Defamation League in 2020 labeled Farrakhan as "the most popular antisemite in America."
In 2022, three months after Allah started his role in the DA’s office, he defended Farrakhan's reputation in another interview, saying people were trying to paint it "incorrectly."
After his praise for the Nation of Islam leader came to light, the Suffolk County DA's office stood by Allah, saying he never espoused Farrakhan’s "derogatory statements." But a probe was launched after Fox News uncovered the antisemitic comment.
"In keeping with our policy of intolerance for racism, bigotry, bias or prejudice against any segment of our population, we have initiated a review of information provided to us regarding alleged statements made seven years ago by True-See Allah," Borghesani said in June. "Mr. Allah has been placed on administrative leave while the review takes place."
Rez called for Allah’s termination in June, adding that District Attorney Kevin Hayden’s office should provide an explanation about "how somebody like this was hired in the first place."
"So if we have somebody who's a fan of David Duke, for instance, and posting pictures on social media with David Duke and espousing David Duke is a champion of all humanity, then that individual is found out to work for the government or work for an organization that has community outreach, that's startling," Rez said. "This is where we are with what's happening in Boston."
