O.C. GOP executive director questioned as terrorism suspect

November 20th, 2008, 4:55 pm · 6 Comments · posted by Martin Wisckol, Politics reporter

File this under “Crazy misunderstandings.”

O.C. GOP Executive Director George Andrews is of East Indian ethnicity and while he speaks without a hint of a foreign accent, he has very dark skin. This yarn begins Tuesday, when Andrews was at an Orange tire shop, getting a flat fixed and talking on his cell phone.

An eavesdropper then contacted Orange police.

“Some white guy in Orange was scared about a dark guy being a terrorist,” said Andrews. “I guess someone overheard me and told police I was talking about assault rifles and terrorists.”

Orange police went to Andrews’ home to question him. They didn’t find Andrews - but they did find cleaning people scrubbing down the place, just like you see on TV when the terrorists move to a new safehouse and want to remove all the bomb residue. Seems Andrews is moving to Sacramento, leaving his job of two years with the county party to work for Assemblywoman-elect Diane Harkey - although police didn’t know that at the time.

Police eventually showed up at O.C. GOP headquarters to question Andrews.

“At first, I thought it was a going away prank,” Andrews said. “But then Irealized they were serious, and I started wondering if maybe I had done something wrong.”

Andrews said the overheard conversation at the tire shop had to do with Barack Obama being elected president and what that might mean for gun control, which he explained to the police.

“After 10 minutes of talking, I think they realized I was the last person who would be involved in a terrorist activity,” Andrews said. “But if I didn’t speak perfect English and work for the Republican party, I can only imagine how much more difficult it would have been.”

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OCGator says:

November 21, 2008 at 7:23 am

Mr. Andrews why “some white guy?” Why not a black man? or red man? or brown man? Folks like you fixed on skin color make me ill.

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SD says:

November 21, 2008 at 9:02 am

Probably because it’s true. Had it been a white guy on the phone, do you think the same person walking by would have taken the same course of action? No, he would have been written off as some NRA guru and been left to carry on.

RMartell says:

November 21, 2008 at 2:45 pm

OCGator…come on man. Your first instinct, after reading this story, is to say that *George* makes you ill? Nothing about the racist pos who called him for a) being dark, b) being in orange county, and c) speaking on the phone..? *George* is the one fixed on skin color?!?! I repeat: come on man.

Georgie Boy says:

November 21, 2008 at 6:13 pm

Could it be that George said it was a white guy because when he had his tire fixed at the tire shop it was only white people that were around? It is a descriptive term for what he saw his environment to be. Had they been anything other than “white,” he would have probably said that instead . Why must everyone be hung up on race? Sometimes race is nothing more than a descriptive term and it is just that, a description — no harmful meaning/conotation at all.

November 22, 2008 at 2:22 am

RMartell & SD, you folks remind me of Andrews. “Probably because it’s true?” and “Racist pos?” “who called him for being dark skinned??” He didn’t see who called on him, just guessed and you all except it as fact and add to it and run with it. “I guess someone overheard me?” more trash. Folks go start your “HATE” trash somewhere else.

ChineseDemocracy says:

November 22, 2008 at 10:36 am

10 to 1 the guy who called was a loyal GOP voter.

You why I know that? Because most GOP voters are closet racists hidden in a “States Rights” cloak.

Orange County Register