Harold Charles "Hal" Turner (born March 15, 1962) is an American political commentator and convicted felon from North Bergen, New Jersey.
Turner's viewpoints typically encompass Holocaust denial[1] and white supremacy,[2] and have included calls for assassination of government officials.
[4] Identifying himself as "Hal from North Bergen", Turner became notable in American conservative circles as a frequent caller to and supporter of WABC radio talk show hosts Bob Grant and Sean Hannity.
[5] Turner parlayed this fame into a role as the northern New Jersey coordinator for Patrick J. Buchanan's 1992 presidential campaign.
[9] Turner became a talk radio host, joining fellow regular callers Frank from Queens and John from Staten Island to start the program The Right Perspective.
In 2002, Turner became a solo host, purchasing a time slot on shortwave radio station WBCQ, over which he broadcast for approximately four years.
According to news reports, Hudson County Republican officials have stated that Turner's party is a "paper corporation with little or no membership".
[17][dead link] In response, local residents, including political and religious leaders, organized a number of "Unity Rallies" with a tolerance theme.
[18] When the rally occurred on November 19, 2005, Turner and the National Vanguard attracted approximately 50 demonstrators, compared to the 100 counter-demonstrators.
On July 16, 2006 North Bergen Municipal Court Judge Joseph Romano found both men to be equally credible and thus neither criminally liable.
[25] In February 2009, Turner posted an article on his blog entitled: "FEDS GRANT EMINENT DOMAIN AS COLLATERAL TO CHINA FOR U.S.
This led to a discussion on a neo-Nazi website on January 10, 2008, in which Turner revealed that he was quitting political work, ending his radio show and separating "from the 'pro-White' movement".
[37] For a time in 2015, Turner promoted another broadcast over "Superstation 95," a pirate radio station in the New York City area.
[42][43][44] On April 4, 2008, Turner encouraged violence against Lexington, Massachusetts, school superintendent Paul Ash for establishing a new curriculum supporting homosexuals.
On his website, he stated: I advocate parents using FORCE AND VIOLENCE against Superintendent Paul B. Ash as a method of defending the health and safety of school children presently being endangered through his politically-correct indoctrination into deadly, disease-ridden sodomite lifestyles.
[46] On June 3, 2009, Turner was arrested in New Jersey and charged with inciting injury to two politicians in Connecticut and a state ethics official.
[49] Two weeks later, Turner was re-arrested on June 24, 2009, at his New Jersey home for making threats against the judges of the United States Court of Appeals in Chicago.
The judge cited the fact that Turner, from his prison cell, recorded and posted on the internet a telephone conversation that included the names of his arresting FBI agents.
[65][66] In his sentencing memorandum, U.S. Attorney Patrick J. Fitzgerald made the following comment: For years, Turner has engaged in a campaign of intimidation against public officials and private citizens alike.
Turner has committed a serious crime, engaged in witness intimidation, lied repeatedly under oath, and has shown no regret whatsoever.
[67]After his conviction, Turner was incarcerated in the Metropolitan Detention Center, Brooklyn,[68] and was later moved to the Federal Correctional Complex, Terre Haute.
[75] In late February 2011, the federal government reported that e-mails "show it appears Turner plans to pursue judicial and law-enforcement officials after he's released from prison."
"[76] On March 25, 2011, Turner appeared in Hartford asking the court to be allowed to change his attorney, telling the judge, "I have no confidence in his ability to defend me.
"[77] The judge reluctantly allowed him to change his private attorney for a public defender citing Turner's unusually bad year.
[79] Prosecutor Thomas Garcia responded that Turner himself wrote that his intent behind the writing was to "foment direct action" against the lawmakers "personally.
"[75] In September 2011, Turner asked Judge Carl J. Schuman for permission to represent himself after disagreeing with his public defender, John Stawicki, about defense strategy.
[81] On September 16, 2011, after three hours of deliberation, Turner was found not guilty of "felony inciting injury to people and misdemeanor threatening.