WorldNetDaily Describes Mortgage Banker as “Counter-Terrorism Specialist”

A thundering rebuke on WorldNetDaily:

A counter-terrorism specialist is defending TV evangelist Pat Robertson against a charge of bigotry toward Muslims by Anti-Defamation League boss Abraham Foxman.

Robertson, founder of the Christian Broadcasting Network and Regent University, was criticized by Foxman for expressing concern on CBN’s “The 700 Club” show about the growing construction of mosques in Europe. Foxman called Robertson’s statements “troubling,” based on “hateful stereotypes of Islam.”

In an open letter, Jeffrey M. Epstein, president of America’s Truth Forum, pushed back at Foxman for defending “a seditious enemy that’s not only sworn to the death and destruction of the Jewish People but one that is determined to undermine the very fabric of western society – and you have the chutzpah to do so with Jewish funding.”

And on what basis is Epstein a “counter-terror specialist”? The America’s Truth Forum website gives his background:

He accumulated over thirty-five years experience in mortgage banking, marketing and business management.  Mr. Epstein was promoted to Senior Vice President of the nation’s largest portfolio-lending institution following his initiation of an FBI/OTS fraud investigation that led to the conviction and incarceration of several real estate professionals for their roles in committing mortgage fraud.

That may not seem like much, but his website has the obligatory white-font against black background, and there’s a dramatic logo showing the earth encircled by a target. From what I’ve seen over the past couple of years (e.g. here), that seems to be enough to qualify as a  “counter-terror specialist” to the satisfaction of most people.

Epstein (better-known as “Jeff Epstein”, see Sourcewatch) was formerly part of Vietnam Vets for Truth, in which capacity he suggested that “Vietnamese communists clearly recognize John Kerry’s contributions to their victory” due to the fact that Kerry appears in a photo from a 1993 delegation to the country that is now on display in a Vietnamese museum.

America’s Truth Forum has held several events: “Understanding the Threat of Radical Islamist Terrorism” (2006), which was followed by the imaginatively named “Exposing the Threat of Islamist Terrorism” (2008) – both were graced by the usual speakers. Epstein also promotes the conspiracy theory that Muslims were behind the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, and he has worked with Paul L. Williams; Williams’ own conspiracy-mongering about McMaster University led to some legal difficulties for WorldNetDaily in 2007.