4 key primary election results: JFK's grandson loses, Democratic Socialists win
1. NYC congressman banned from coffee shop for stance on Israel is defeated
The U.S. Department of Justice has opened an investigation into a Brooklyn coffee shop after it publicly boasted about refunding Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., and said it would have refused to serve him had employees recognized him sooner.
Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon announced the probe Monday, saying her office was aware of Poetica Coffee's comments directed at Goldman and was reviewing whether federal civil rights laws had been violated.
"Federal law prohibits public accommodations such as coffee shops from discriminating against patrons based on their race, religion, or national origin," Dhillon wrote in a post on X.
Dhillon’s post included a link to a New York Post story documenting the treatment Goldman received from Poetica.
The investigation stems from a now-deleted social media post by Brooklyn-based Poetica Coffee, which mocked Goldman after he visited the shop.
In a now-deleted social media post, the coffee shop directed a message at Goldman: “We see that you stopped by our shop today for a coffee. Do you see how it doesn’t taste like genocide juice? Or are you still having a hard time telling the difference?”
The coffee shop also criticized Goldman over his support for Israel and the pro-Israel lobbying group AIPAC, later issuing him a refund and telling him, "Don't ever come to Poetica."
“See, here at Poetica, we don’t serve racists, fascists, homophobes, genocide enablers, or anyone in between,” the post added. “Too bad we didn’t recognize you right away, or we would have turned you away. We issued you a refund — we don’t need your money (it’s probably coming from AIPAC anyways). Enjoy your loss on Tuesday.
The controversy comes as Goldman faces political headwinds at home. Unofficial election results show the congressman losing the Democratic primary for New York's 10th Congressional District to challenger Brad Lander by more than 30 percentage points.
Because the district is one of the most heavily Democratic in the nation, Lander is expected to be the favorite in November's general election against Republican Jennifer Moore.
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: ryan.foley@christianpost.com
