Giants co-owner defends self over donations
Charles B. Johnson, the billionaire Giants principal owner embroiled in a controversy over two political donations, defended himself Wednesday against charges that he is racist and criticized U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi for her “public hanging” comment.
“I think she was stupid,” Johnson told The Chronicle by phone from Palm Beach, Fla., in an extraordinarily rare interview. “She said stupid things, particularly in Mississippi. I think the comments she made about the hanging was offensive.”
Johnson, 85, also said the racist radio ad in Arkansas created by an organization to which he donated $1,000 was “unacceptable,” that he has made contributions to many African American office-seekers, most recently Utah congresswoman Mia Love, who lost her re-election bid, and that he is “a believer in racial harmony.”
Also, while Johnson understands why Giants fans were upset with his two oftcriticized donations, he defended his role as one of the nation’s most prolific Republican donors and said his spending has nothing to do with the team, from which he has no plans to divest.
“I’m sorry that they feel that way,” Johnson said in a relaxed tone. “I try to do the best thing that I can. Some things are good and some things are mistakes and you live the best way you can with your own philosophy.”
Pointing toward the falling African American unemployment rate, which President Trump often touts, Johnson
said, “I do believe the Republican party has been better for blacks than the Democratic party has. You’ll get a lot of argument about that, particularly from the NAACP, but if you look at the results, the opportunity to rise in life is much better under Republicans than under radical Democrats.”
He emphasized that he said “radical” to differentiate them from moderate Democrats, some of whom he supports.
“On the whole,” he said, “I don’t like the idea of politics affecting anything that I do with the Giants.”
As Johnson was speaking to The Chronicle, Oakland civilrights attorney John Burris issued a statement calling off a boycott of the Giants that he had advocated, alongside NAACP San Francisco chapter president the Rev. Amos Brown and sociologist Harry Edwards.
That decision followed news Tuesday that Johnson, whose 26 percent stake makes him the largest Giants shareholder, had written to the Hyde-Smith campaign seeking a refund of the $5,400 that he and his wife, Ann, had donated to her campaign. Hyde-Smith won her election Tuesday night.
Johnson already had sought and received a refund of the $1,000 he donated to the Black Americans for the President’s Agenda, which produced the racist radio ad in Arkansas supporting Republican Rep. French Hill in his successful re-election bid.
Burris said in his statement that after speaking with Edwards and Brown, “I have decided that Mr. Johnson’s statements condemning racism and requesting the returns of his contributions to Senatorelect Hyde-Smith are sufficient, positive steps and that the boycott is not further warranted at this time.”
Burris was cautious, however, saying, “Mr. Johnson is free to make any and all contributions that he wants, but as a principal owner of the Giants, those contributions should not go to organizations or politicians perpetuating racist views or condoning systems that further the legacies of discrimination.”
“As a longtime Giants supporter and civil-rights lawyer, I want the best for the team,” Burris said. “But I will be watching.”
Johnson explained both donations.
He said he received a “flier” from the Black Americans PAC seeking his support for African American candidates.
“You get things in the mail, and that was an interesting flier,” Johnson said. “It said nothing about advertising.”
Johnson also said he initiated his contribution to HydeSmith on Nov. 10, one day before a video surfaced in which she expressed her regard for a campaign supporter by saying she would be in the “front row” of a public hanging if he invited her.
The campaign did not report the donation until Nov. 20, nine days after the video emerged.
The comment drew widespread criticism for its allusion to lynchings; more such killings happened in Mississippi than in any other state, according to the NAACP.
Johnson said he made that contribution after receiving an email from a group “that vets all kinds of things” seeking money. He called it a “very responsible group.”
While agreeing that the hanging comment was offensive, Johnson said he had no issue with Hyde-Smith being photographed in a Confederate hat, which he said was common in the South.
That could be a topic for Thursday, when Johnson speaks by phone with Brown and Giants President and CEO Larry Baer, who organized the call.