Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) blasted Washington, D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson for manipulating crime statistics by creating a fake category instead of simply calling it what every American knows it is: stealing.
Jordan hammered Mendelson over a shady new crime category, “Taking Property Without Right,” that’s skyrocketed 500% in recent years, all while violent crime ravages the streets of Democrat-run Washington, D.C.
What’s this Orwellian euphemism? Simple: it’s stealing, plain and simple. But in true deep-state fashion, DC’s liberal overlords invented it to whitewash their epic failure on public safety.
Jim Jordan:
What’s taking property without right?Phil Mendelson:
That would be theft.Jim Jordan:
Why not call it theft? Why come up with this designation? In fact, that’s what he says. He’s asked the question. He said the solution for Mr. Zabavsky was to come up with this TPWR—Taking Property Without Right. What is that? Taking Property Without Right is what again?Phil Mendelson:
If you’re speaking to the particular charges, I can’t speak to that. As I’ve said several times, I can’t speak to that particular case. I think the issue is whether there is—Jim Jordan:
I’m asking a simple question. You have a classification for crime called Taking Property Without Right. What does that mean?Phil Mendelson:
It means just what it said, if that’s what the crime is.Jim Jordan:
Why not call it—what would a normal person call Taking Property Without Right?Phil Mendelson:
Are we talking about what the criminal code and the specific crimes are?Jim Jordan:
I’m just talking about that statement that you have that’s grown 500% in the last several years—that specific category of crime. I’m just wondering, what does that exactly mean?Phil Mendelson:
If we look at collateral data such as ShotSpotter, we know that gunshots are down 29% from ’23 to ’24.Jim Jordan:
Taking Property Without Right was the question. What does that mean?Phil Mendelson:
I’ve already answered you, sir.Jim Jordan:
And what did you say again?Phil Mendelson:
I said that if you’re speaking to a particular offense in our criminal code, I cannot speak to that particular offense.Jim Jordan:
Why not just call it stealing? That’s what we would all—someone comes in, someone comes and takes something that belongs to me, or someone comes and takes something that belongs to you—we call it stealing. Why create this new category that grows 500%, that I think allows you to cook the books, as the head of the FOP in your city said so?Phil Mendelson:
As you know, as the Chair of Judiciary Committee, there are for many offenses a range of possible charges from misdemeanor to felony and different shades of felony. I am not familiar with that particular offense.
Hellbound and Down 