New York, NY, January 4, 2017 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today denounced remarks made by New York State Assemblyman Clifford Crouch who, in reaction to Governor Cuomo’s announcement of a task force on educating about minimum wage, equated the move to a “personal gestapo force.”

ADL reached out to the Assemblyman’s office shortly following the alleged comments reported on January 3 and has not received any clarification or retraction.

“Assemblyman Crouch’s equating of Governor Cuomo’s efforts to inform businesses on minimum wage and investigate cases where workers are improperly paid to a ‘personal gestapo force’ is beyond the pale and inappropriate,” said Evan R. Bernstein, ADL New York Regional Director. “Such a comparison trivializes the role of the Gestapo during the Holocaust and we believe there is absolutely no place for such language in civil debates.

“We urge Assemblyman Crouch to retract this analogy and all elected officials and public figures to refrain from such analogies that are deeply offensive to Holocaust survivors, their families and those who fought against the Nazis,” Mr. Bernstein said. “In a climate that has seen an uptick in hate incidents – especially swastika vandalism – leaders in our communities across New York must demonstrate heightened sensitivity around such issues.”

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world’s leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.  Follow us on Twitter: @ADL_NY