The Justice Department has launched an investigation into a Brooklyn coffee shop that banned Rep. Dan Goldman for his pro-Israel stance.
The department said on Monday it opened the probe into Brooklyn’s Poetica Coffee, which wrote online that it would have refused service to the New York Democrat had it recognized him.
“The Civil Rights Division has opened an investigation and will bring an enforcement action if warranted,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said on social media. “Federal law prohibits public accommodations such as coffee shops from discriminating against patrons based on their race, religion, or national origin. These actions are not only reprehensible, they’re potentially illegal.”
Mr. Goldman reportedly went into the cafe outside his district so that his 7-year-old daughter could use the restroom on Sunday, and he bought a coffee as a thank-you to the helpful staff.
Poetica Coffee posted a since-deleted Instagram message Sunday that it issued a refund to the lawmaker after realizing who he was, saying, “We see that you stopped by our shop today for a coffee. We don’t serve racists, fascists, homophobes, genocide enablers, or anyone in between. Too bad we didn’t recognize you right away, or we would have turned you away.
“Enjoy your loss on Tuesday. Don’t ever come to Poetica,” the shop wrote.
The Instagram account has seemingly been deactivated since.
Mr. Goldman said Monday that the “surprising” ordeal reflects a “sad state of affairs.”
“I had such a nice interaction with the barista in the coffee shop,” he told CNN’s Laura Coates. “She was wearing a hijab, I didn’t know her, but she couldn’t have been nicer and allowed my daughter to go use the bathroom, and I honestly was so grateful for her kindness that I felt like I should buy a coffee, and so I did, and I gave her a large tip.”
He added, “Two people, obviously from different backgrounds, different faiths, but that’s what America is, and that’s what New York City is. That is what I believe in.”
He said he would prefer the Justice Department probe antisemitism against others, not him.
“No, I would rather they spend their time and resources investigating antisemitism against people who do not have a platform that I do, who are not elected officials, who do not — in some ways — ask for this,” he said. “I mean, I don’t ask for the antisemitism, but I’m a public figure, and I can accept the criticism.”
Mr. Goldman is in the depths of a contentious Tuesday primary against former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, who is backed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Sen. Bernie Sanders, Vermont independent.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and pro-Israel lobbying groups J Street and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee have backed Mr. Goldman.
Both candidates are Jewish, prompting an election that has heavily focused on the Israel-Gaza war.
Mr. Lander denounced the coffee shop’s post, telling The New York Times, “There are plenty of ways to lobby elected officials and express outrage at the votes they’ve taken without turning coffee shops into places people don’t feel welcome.”
Mr. Goldman’s past support from AIPAC caught Poetica Coffee’s attention, as it said in its now-deleted post, “We don’t need your money (it’s probably coming from AIPAC anyways).”
While he has said he does not take corporate PAC money, which includes AIPAC, he has received hundreds of thousands from individuals through the lobbying group, according to OpenSecrets, which tracks money in politics.
The lawmaker has been critical of the Israeli government and the war in Gaza, labeling it a “humanitarian catastrophe” and calling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition an “extremist government.”
Following Israel’s offensive in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, massacre of Israelis, over 70,000 people have been killed in Gaza.
The coffee shop’s post included this shot at Mr. Goldman: “Do you see how it doesn’t taste like genocide juice? Or are you still having a hard time telling the difference?”
The congressman said it was “crazy” to be accused of supporting genocide by someone who did not know him.
“Now, I may disagree as to whether or not there’s a genocide, but come on, we’re better than this, and we need to be better than this,” he told CNN.
