Anti-racism has degenerated from a worthy cause into a fraudulent sickness on a mass level. An epidemic of fake hate crimes – 394 separate incidents have been documented – is fanning anger and fear among people who are persuaded by lies about the purported levels of racism. As Thomas Sowell has quipped, the demand for hate crimes far exceeds the supply. A study by a political scientist indicates that more than 2/3rds of hate crime reports are fake, meaning your first reaction to any report of a hate crime justifiably should be skepticism.

The latest example comes from Eastern Oregon, where a failed candidate for county commissioner in Umatilla County has confessed to writing a fake letter to himself and reporting it to police. Jade McDowell of The East Oregonian reports:

A racist letter that recent Umatilla County commissioner candidate Jonathan Lopez claimed was left anonymously in his mailbox was written by Lopez himself, according to Lopez and Hermiston Police Chief Jason Edmiston.

On Monday, July 6, Edmiston said in an email that Lopez had confessed that he wrote the letter. Edmiston said the case would be forwarded to the Umatilla County District Attorney’s office for review for initiating a false report, a Class A misdemeanor in Oregon.

“From the onset, this alleged incident has been thoroughly investigated,” Edmiston wrote in an email. “Our investigation has shown that Mr. Lopez wrote the letter himself and made false statements to the police and on social media. The end result is a verbal and written admission by Mr. Lopez that the letter was fabricated.”

Lopez had previously posted a photo of a typed letter full of racist, homophobic and misogynist slurs to Facebook, stating that he had received the letter but that he had “no resentment for whomever wrote this.”

The letter, as shown in the photo, stated in part that Lopez and other “Mexicans” were “not welcome here” and that “America is for the God fearing, pro gun, pro life humans who refuse to be controlled by the government.”

Jonathan Lopez (photo via The East Oregonian)

The Facebook post has been taken down, but KEPR TV has posted a copy of the letter:

Lopez is libeling religious believers and civil rights activists who support the Second Amendment. Yet he pretends to take the high road, as KEPR reports:

In his post, Jonathan writes about the experience of receiving the letter and his background as a person. Jonathan states, "Many don’t know me or who I am and where I stand. As an American born man who served in the USCG, fire and rescue services. I’m also proud of where my parents and grandparents were born and raised, Mexico. I have lived a life full of obstacles and challenges Including racism. There is no room or tolerance of that."

Jonathan also states that he hopes people can come together and find common ground. "We now more than ever must address these issues that are destroying and distancing us from unification," Jonathan writes. "We must be mature and adults about things and address them properly at a table or meeting in which we can come to an agreement or mutual understanding!"

Jonathan ended his Facebook post saying that he isn't mad at the person who wrote the hateful letter. He says, "I hold no resentment for whom ever wrote this; I’m just simply heart broken for the lack of knowledge, education and respect missing. I pray for you and wish you prosperity in your life. God bless us all!"

Lopez is now in even bigger trouble than a Class A misdemeanor. The East Oregonian:

Edmiston said his department was also forwarding information to the district attorney’s office about possibly fraudulent statements in Lopez’s entry in the May 2020 voter’s guide about his background and education. Those claims were also reported in the East Oregonian leading up to the election.

Edmiston also alleged that HPD has learned that Lopez never served in the U.S. Coast Guard as stated, which would be a violation of the 2013 Stolen Valor Act. Lopez has not provided documentation to the East Oregonian to confirm his claim of Coast Guard service when asked.

Lopez has wasted valuable police resources and inflicted harm by lying about people whose politics he doesn’t like.

I hope he gets the book thrown at him and serves serious jail time. That’s the only way future hoaxes will be discouraged.