PITTSBURGH – Congressional candidate James Hayes said left-wing “squad” member Summer Lee “showed neither emotion nor common decency” by flagrantly dismissing questions about the torture-murder of a 12-year-old Texas girl at the hands of two illegal border crossers.
Jocelyn Nungaray’s body was found dumped in a creek in north Houston June 17. Two men, both on release by the U.S. Border Patrol after entering the country illegally, have been charged in her murder. Both were seen taking her from a convenience store the day of the killing.
Asked about the killing, Lee waved her hand and replied:
“I don’t talk to strangers. I don’t know who you are and I don’t know who she is. I live in Pittsburgh,” Lee responded. “I’m from Pittsburgh, I don’t know anything about it.”
Lee then retreats into her office.
Two other members of Congress, approached in the same hallway, paused to discuss the killing, each expressing sympathy with the Nungaray family.
Fellow “squad” member Pramila Jayapal, D-Washington: “These are horrible incidents and I think anyone who conducts that kind of terrible act needs to be prosecuted.”
Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif: “Awful, awful. People who committed the crime should be held accountable.”
Approached a second time, Lee again declined to comment, munching on what appears to be a piece of candy. “I’ll have to look it up,” she replies, before ducking into an elevator.
“As the father of a murdered son, I know the anguishing pain of losing a child to violence, and I also know that the reactions of others matter deeply at such a time,” Hayes said. “Three liberal members of Congress were asked about this incident. Two expressed sympathy for the family. It remained for Summer Lee to arrogantly dismiss the issue with the wave of a hand while reminding everybody she’s from Pittsburgh.”
James Hayes is a business executive with a doctorate in business, running to challenge incumbent Summer Lee in next year’s congressional elections. Hayes held top positions with Fortune 500 companies as well as a six-year stint with the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, Va. A native Pennsylvanian, Hayes is the son of a union steelworker who was among those displaced by the massive deindustrialization of the 1980s. He credits the United Steelworkers of America for providing the scholarship money that first sent him to college. He describes himself as a free-market advocate opposed to the radical economic experiments and anti-business activism proposed by Lee and her fellow “squad” members. You can review James Hayes’ resume and more details on his goals for the 12th District by visiting his website: jameshayesforpa.com
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