Marcia Fudge has dropped any plans to challenge Nancy Pelosi for Speaker of the House amidst newly surfaced reports that she personally vouched for a man now accused of murdering his ex-wife.
Fudge had toyed with the notion of taking on Pelosi, saying, “People are asking me to do it, and I am thinking about it.”
“Things could change rapidly,” she presciently added.
Change rapidly, they have.
Lance Mason, a friend of Fudge, has been arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with his ex-wife, Aisha Fraser’s death. Mason is accused of fatally stabbing Fraser.
Lance Mason, a former Cleveland judge who also served in the Ohio legislature and worked in the office of the mayor of Cleveland, has been arrested in connection with the stabbing death of his wife. https://t.co/SeyODEGDoF
— NPR (@NPR) November 20, 2018
Fudge Voiced Support For Mason When He Beat His Wife
In 2014, Mason beat Fraser in front of their young children, slamming her head against the dashboard of their car so severely that she required facial reconstructive surgery.
Fudge inexplicably wrote a letter of strong support for the man now accused of murdering Fraser, explaining her view of the violent man had been shaped by over twenty years of friendship.
“The Lance T. Mason that I know is a kind, intelligent man and loyal friend,” she wrote in his defense.
“Lance Mason is a good man who made a very bad mistake,” Fudge concluded, “I can only hope you can see in Lance what I and others see.”
We have found a letter of support from @RepMarciaFudge during the 2015 sentencing of Judge Lance Mason after the severe beating of his wife Aisha Fraser. Mason is now the lead suspect in the weekend murder of Fraser. @cleveland19news pic.twitter.com/6Yzgw2gkkD
— Dan DeRoos (@DanDeRoos19) November 19, 2018
A “good man” as Fudge asserts, served 9 months in prison for that beating, a beating which involved punching his then-wife in the head upwards of 20 times.
Below is a report of Fudge’s friend’s alleged murder that occurred on Saturday:
Upon hearing of the murder charges, Fudge amended her view of Mason.
“The person who committed these crimes is not the Lance Mason familiar to me,” she said. “They were horrific crimes, and I condemn them.”
Just Like That, Fudge Is Gone
As she alluded to, things can change very rapidly. While the concerns of the family of the victim and her assailant being served justice are of paramount concern, there are some political ramifications to this story. Fudge, who had been one name surfacing in a challenge to Pelosi for the Speakership, is now gone.
She had reportedly been one of 17 Democrats who signed a letter asserting that Pelosi should not be considered for the role again, though upon its release after the weekend attack, her name did not appear.
By Tuesday evening, Fudge had dropped a bid she had just barely begun to ponder, and fully endorsed Pelosi.
The California Democrat, ever the savvy and opportunistic politician, apparently provided Fudge an offer she couldn’t refuse, especially in light if her current predicament. Pelosi agreed to make Fudge chairman of a resurrected subcommittee on elections.
“I now join my colleagues in support of the leadership team of Pelosi, Hoyer and Clyburn,” Fudge announced.
Pelosi’s handling of Fudge’s short-lived challenge earned praise from the Washington Post, who writes:
It demonstrated that Pelosi — whose bare-knuckle political skills were forged in her Baltimore upbringing, numerous prior House leadership races, and high-stakes legislative battles during her four-year speakership — has considerable tools at her disposal to win further support.
In other words, any rebellion against her is now pretty much squashed. Pelosi saw an opportunity in a tragic case involving Fudge, and she ruthlessly set about taking advantage.
President Trump will get exactly what he wanted in Nancy as Speaker, the perfect foil to propel him to victory in 2020.
