Sharpton asks Nevada attorney general to investigate Ahern
The Rev. Al Sharpton has asked Nevada’s attorney general to investigate Don Ahern, the construction equipment tycoon, amid allegations that he pulled a gun on a Black driver.
Ahern, Sharpton said, has displayed “an alarming pattern” of racism and violence as CEO of Ahern Rentals Inc.
“In this highly charged climate in which Black and other marginalized communities are at threat of violent actions, it is imperative we investigate and hold accountable those who conduct themselves as Ahern has,” Sharpton wrote to Aaron Ford, one of only seven Black attorneys general nationwide.
In 2022, a former employee of Ahern Rentals, Mark Townsend, filed a lawsuit alleging he witnessed Ahern repeatedly make racist comments in the workplace. He wrote in the suit that he had Ahern say, “We don’t like hiring n‑‑‑‑‑‑. They are dumb. They are just born that way.”
Sworn testimony also alleges that Ahern said, “If it was up to me, I would get rid of all the n‑‑‑‑‑‑, Mexicans, and women, because they’re useless.”
Townsend’s suit was settled out of court.
These comments, Sharpton said, “belong back to the Jim Crow Era and not in the mouth of a CEO in the 2020s.”
“Reading these remarks, which were part of a recent lawsuit against him, made one thing clear: Ahern is an equal opportunity racist who wanted to eliminate anyone who wasn’t a young white man,” Sharpton wrote.
Sharpton said the most alarming incident — and the impetus for Ford’s office to investigate — is that “on one occasion Don Ahern called a truck driver the ‘n-word’ and pulled a gun on him.”
Sharpton compared Ahern to Bull Connor, the former commissioner of public safety for the city of Birmingham, Ala., who was a staunch segregationist.
But Sharpton acknowledged that investigating Ahern, who has been a longtime supporter of Trump, could draw backlash for Ford.
“Your role as one of the nation’s few Black Attorneys General will only compound such a daunting task, but the sworn statements of these courageous employees should also compel you to rise above that and do what is right for those either intimidated by or denied an opportunity due to Ahern’s warped view of the world,” Sharpton wrote.
“The Civil Rights community will stand behind you against those attacks. I make this inquiry not for political reasons, but moral ones. This is an urgent matter as Ahern’s actions have no place in any work environment, let alone any other facet of our society. Nevada must send a message that it does not stand for racism, sexism, or any other discriminatory behavior – nor should any other state in this union.”
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