Ilario Pantano

Ilario Pantano

From Murder to Congress? Unrepentant Tea Party-Backed GOP Candidate Ilario Pantano Killed 2 Unarmed Iraqis

A former US Marine who killed two unarmed Iraqis is running for a congressional seat in North Carolina and has received backing from the Tea Party. Ilario Pantano has said he has no regrets about fatally shooting the two at point-blank range after detaining them near Fallujah in April 2004. Despite his admission, the military cleared Pantano of wrongdoing in 2005. He is now in a tight race with incumbent Democrat Rep. Mike McIntyre in North Carolina's 7th Congressional District. For more on this story, we talk to Salon.com reporter Justin Elliott, who has been following this race closely. Ref. Source 5