Anti-Bush Teddy Bear Joke Gets FBI Involved

By Jimmy Moore
Talon News
June 23, 2004

The origin of an anti-Bush teddy bear that was delivered to the home of a federal magistrate in Detroit, Michigan is being examined by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The FBI subpoenaed records involving the sale of teddy bear toys (web site) with the message "Bush Kill Arabs Dead." One of these was sent to Magistrate Mona Majzoub, an Arab-American attorney who was selected to fill an open magistrate position by a court panel last July.

Yet the Detroit U.S. Attorney's grand jury investigation states the teddy bear was likely sent as a joke by some of Majzoub's friends.

Attorney Michael J. Brady, who chairs the Michigan bar's criminal law committee, and retired court administrator George Gish saw the teddy bear online and immediately thought of their friend, Majzoub, since she supported President George W. Bush's decision to go to war with Iraq.

Brady ordered the teddy bear and had it sent to Gish so he could hand-deliver it to Majzoub's home. But Gish did not inform Majzoub that Brady was the one who sent the toy.

On May 24, a federal grand jury subpoena was sent to the California-based company that makes the teddy bears seeking a list of the names and addresses of people who purchased the item from October 2003 through February 2004.

FBI agent Angela Ryan received a response from the teddy bear company on June 7 stating that only one of the anti-Bush teddy bears was sold during that time period. That sale happened to be from Brady, who had the teddy bear delivered to Gish.

The FBI refused to tell the teddy bear manufacturer, CafePress, why they were probing into their records.

Federal prosecutor Sheldon Light, who heads the U.S. attorney's general crimes unit, said this case is still being investigated and would not comment on the case.

FBI agent Ryan also refused to comment on the case.

Advertised by an anti-Bush parody web site entitled GeorgeWBush.org, the teddy bear with the "Bush Kills Arabs Dead" message was seen by federal investigators as a direct threat against Majzoub.