A Day at the National Press Club
Sam Husseini and Sen. Chuck Schumer. Photo by Russell Mokhiber.
It was just another day at the National Press Club.
Public Citizen, founded by Ralph Nader, was holding a news conference in the Holeman Lounge on July 27, 2026, titled Combating Corruption. (The Holeman Lounge was named after Frank Holeman, a former reporter for the New York Daily News. Holeman went on to run the Tire Industry Safety Council. Nader, working then on auto safety, had an office in the National Press Building. In 1991, Holeman told a Press Club historian that “the tire manufacturers wanted somebody to work the other side of the street from Ralph Nader – so if it hadn’t been for Ralph, I wouldn’t have a job.”)
The featured speaker at the Combating Corruption event? Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-New York), one of the most corrupt members of the United States Senate – known by his nickname – the Senator from Wall Street. Also known for taking hundreds of thousands of dollars in Israel lobby money and, in exchange, taking a leadership role in funding Israel’s mass murder and genocide in Gaza.
Of course, the genocide was live on the internet for all to see. Schumer’s corruption is well documented, as is his complicity in the genocide.
In March, Norman Solomon of RootsAction and the Institute for Public Accuracy penned an article for The Hill newspaper titled – For the sake of his party and country, Schumer should step aside – in which he quotes a new Reuters-Ipsos poll that found that 62 percent of self-identified Democrats agreed that “the leadership of the Democratic Party should be replaced with new people.”
“Schumer’s unwelcome nickname – the Senator from Wall Street – is longstanding and well-earned,” Solomon wrote. “He reached new heights as corporate America’s champion on Capitol Hill during the 2008 financial crisis, when he ‘became one of the first officials to promote a Wall Street bailout,’ as reported by The New York Times. Schumer was playing ‘an unrivaled role in Washington as beneficiary, advocate and overseer of an industry that is his hometown’s most important business.’”
“Schumer has since remained closely aligned with the very corporate interests that most Democratic voters don’t want party leaders to serve,” Solomon wrote. “Meanwhile, sectors such as banking, real estate, finance and the tobacco industry have sent floods of appreciative donations into Schumer’s campaign coffers.”
Earlier this year, Schumer had to call off a book tour for his new book – Anti-Semitism in America: A Warning – for fear of facing down angry Democrats demanding that he resign as Senate leader because of his support for Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
In the run up to the press conference, organizers indicated that questions from the press would be allowed.
But the day before the press conference, I get an email from a Public Citizen press person saying – “Hey there – We actually took out the Q&A session for Schumer’s speech.”
But isn’t it supposed to be a press conference? I asked.
“There will not be a Q&A at the event, so if you want to ask him questions, the best opportunity will be in the hallway as he’s leaving,” she wrote.
(After the event, I dutifully waited outside for the Senator to leave so I could ask him a question. No Senator. I was later told by a Press Club staffer that they snuck him out by the back glass elevators.)
I wondered why reporters were not allowed to ask questions of Schumer.
A no questions policy at a press event led to what happened next.
Sam Husseini, famous for confronting Biden State Department officials over the genocide, appeared at the event and sat next to Schumer while he was practicing his remarks. Husseini is running for Congress from Maryland on the Green Party ticket against pro-Israel PAC-funded ($7.3 million) Democratic Congressman Glenn Ivey.
Husseini, knowing that the organizers would not allow questions of Schumer after his remarks, stood up to question the Senator just sixty seconds after Schumer began speaking.
“Please sit down,” Schumer told Husseini.
Husseini had in his hand a November 2023 document titled – Legal Organizations Put Members of Congress on Notice of Complicity in Genocide. It was from the Center for Constitutional Rights, Palestine Legal and the National Lawyers Guild.
“Please take notice that should you vote in favor of (an emergency military funding package for Israel), you risk facing criminal and civil liability for aiding and abetting genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity under international law, and may face investigation and prosecution at the International Criminal Court, and in third-states under the principle of universal jurisdiction,” the notice read.
Husseini stood up and looked straight at Schumer and said – “You were put on notice, and you backed it. And you backed the genocide to the hilt for years on end. How dare you talk about corruption? How dare you talk about corruption?”
Schumer tried to cut off Sam – “Thank you for your diatribe. Now let’s continue. The people didn’t come to hear you.”
“You should be questioned about your diabolical record,” Husseini said as he was escorted out of the room by security. “It’s amazing that you can show your genocidal face in public, Mr. Senator! Mr. Senator!”
“Shame on Public Citizen for not allowing questions of this genocidal maniac,” Husseini shouted as he exited Holeman Lounge.
I checked in with Constitutional law expert Bruce Fein, who confirmed that members of Congress can be prosecuted under international law for funding a genocide.
“International law as regards genocide or torture recognizes no immunity for any official,” Fein said. “The Speech or Debate Clause of the Constitution provides Members immunity for legislative acts under domestic U.S. law – not for international law prosecutions.”
After Sam was taken out, I raised my hand and tried to ask a question of Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-Rhode Island), but he refused to take questions and walked out. (Whitehouse too voted to fund Israel’s mass murder campaign in Gaza.)
I did get to ask Senator Alex Padilla (D-California) whether he agreed with the majority of Democrats that the corrupt Senator Schumer should resign. “He’s the leader of our Democratic caucus.” But should he resign? “He’s the leader of our Democratic caucus. Next question.”
Of course, inside the beltway, so-called public interest groups are beholden to the leadership of the Democratic Party. Sierra Club, for example, just recently endorsed the AIPAC funded pro-mass murder Congressman Adam Smith (D-Washington) over his independent anti-genocide challenger, former Seattle City Councilwoman Kshama Sawant. Outrageous.
And the salaries of the top public interest groups put them out of touch with regular Americans. Fred Krupp – President of the Environmental Defense Fund – $1.3 million. Carter Roberts, President World Wildlife Fund – $1.29 million. Elizabeth Gray, CEO, National Audubon Society – $951,000. And on down the list.
After the event, I did catch up with Public Citizen’s co-president Lisa Gilbert and presented to her the document that Sam was holding, saying that members of Congress are on notice that they could be prosecuted for funding a genocide. Schumer has been taking hundreds of thousands of dollars from pro-Israel groups and then turning around and funding the genocide. Isn’t that the ultimate corruption – taking money to fund mass murder?
“This event is about anti-corruption,” Gilbert said. “His new bill is something we support.”
But what about the mass murder he funded?
“It’s not connected. It’s not connected,” Gilbert said.
It’s not?
This first appeared on the Capitol Hill Citizen Substack.
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