A spoof documentary by controversial actor and comedian Sacha Baron Cohen has duped yet another politician into saying and doing some pretty uncomfortable things. And the Georgia state representative at the center of it all is anything but happy about it.
Georgia House Representative Jason Spencer from Camden County - on Georgia's southeast corner - released a statement on Tuesday lashing out at the comedian for tricking him in much the same way he has other conservative politicians in recent weeks. Those include Republican voices such as Sarah Palin and former vice president Dick Cheney.
"The makers of this film fraudulently induced me in participating in bogus self-defense and anti-terrorism training after they learned of the legislation I introduced in November 2016 that provoked death threats against me and my family," Spencer said. "They took advantage of my fears that I would be attacked by someone inspired by the vile rhetoric used against me."
The legislation in question would have banned Muslims from wearing burqas in public though Spencer later abandoned the bill after public outcry.
Spencer said he was told that the video was going to be used for "educational aid" to train other elected officials who might be targeted by terrorists. he said the video included a kidnapping scenario where he was "repeatedly asked to shout provocative language."
The Georgia state representative said he now intends to seek legal action against Cohen and the production company behind the seven-episode Showtime series "Who is America?"
While the series description claims that the show "explores the diverse individuals, from the infamous to the unknown" in the nation, some who are featured claim they were tricked into interviews. Among them is Palin who called Cohen "evil" and his humor "sick".
Spencer doubled down on those allegations saying that "this media company's deceptive and fraudulent behavior is exactly why President Donald Trump was elected."
While the documentary is Spencer's latest foray onto the national stage, it's not the first. Aside from the controversial "burqa ban" bill he introduced, Spencer also caught flack for telling former State Representative LaDawn Jones that she could "disappear" if came to south Georgia advocating for the removal of Confederate monuments.
He walked back those words after public scorn but claimed that they were misinterpreted as a threat when they weren't intended to be.
Spencer was sworn into the General Assembly representing House District 180 in 2011.
