(Brookline, MA) - Leon Panetta, former Secretary of Defense, Director of the CIA, White House Chief of Staff, Director of the Office of Management and Budget, U.S. Representative from California (1977 to 1993), and Co-Founder of the Panetta Institute for Public Policy, endorsed Alan Khazei for Congress in the 4th Congressional District of Massachusetts.

Panetta, who as CIA director oversaw the successful pursuit of Osama bin Laden, is the latest national leader and national security expert to back Khazei’s campaign, at a time when the country faces an historic crisis. Secretary Panetta, joins former U.N. Ambassador and Obama National Security Advisor Susan Rice, Four-Star General Stanley McChrystal, former Undersecretary of Defense Michele Flournoy, Senators Michael Bennet and Gary Hart and former Assistant Secretary of Defense Douglas Wilson in backing Khazei’s campaign for Congress.

In endorsing Khazei, Secretary Panetta emphasized Khazei’s proven ability to help tackle a national challenge. “At a time when we desperately need a national strategy to tackle the COVID crisis and rebuild, Alan Khazei stands out as someone who’s led the national service movement, built a national non-profit, helped to organize national marches, and successfully led major legislation through Congress to build a national institution, AmeriCorps. It’s critical we send an exceptional leader like Alan to Congress where he will brilliantly represent Massachusetts and help all of us emerge from this crisis stronger,” said Panetta.

“We are at a pivotal moment in our history, with the opportunity to bring transformative change to this country,” Panetta said. “We need Alan’s extraordinary talent and unshakeable commitment to putting people before politics in Congress. Over the past three decades, I’ve known him to be a talented movement leader and capable of building a strong coalition to force action on climate change, gun safety, and universal affordable healthcare. He knows how to work across the aisle, to secure funding, how to organize for a common goal and already has a legacy of creating big change.”

Panetta, who has long advocated for expanding national service, highlighted Khazei’s decades of experience building coalitions to expand the service movement and helping communities across the country. The pair met in 1982 while Panetta, then serving as a Congressman from California, was crafting legislation to study voluntary national service and Khazei was promoting national service as a congressional intern on Capitol Hill.

Panetta served as Director of the Office of Management and Budget and White House Chief of Staff in the Clinton administration, which worked with Khazei to model AmeriCorps after Khazei’s successful City Year program. Panetta’s and Khazei’s passion for national service stems from their mutual belief that service can help solve pressing problems while uniting young people from diverse backgrounds to build common understanding. Panetta has a record of being a strong defender of Civil and LGBTQ+ rights. Panetta resigned from the Nixon Administration’s Civil Rights Division of the Justice department in protest of Nixon’s “southern strategy. ” As Secretary of Defense he led the successful effort to repeal the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy.

Secretary Panetta is an extraordinary public servant who has dedicated his entire life to public service and strengthening our democracy. Secretary Panetta has been an extraordinary champion of national service and calling on Americans to unite in service to meet critical needs and build a stronger, more united America. Secretary Panetta always leads with his values. I was especially inspired that one of Secretary Panetta’s first acts as Secretary of Defense was to repeal the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy that had unjustly discriminated against LGBTQ members of the nation’s armed services. It was an historic act of Civil Rights leadership. He lifted the ban on women serving in combat and has denounced Trump’s ban on trans people serving in the military. ”

Leon Panetta’s endorsement is the latest in a trio of notable endorsements of Khazei’s candidacy over the past week. Professor and Reverend Cornell William Brooks, former NAACP President and CEO endorsed Khazei on August 4th, citing Khazei’s “extensive experience advancing the cause of racial justice.” Brooks and Khazei recently co-authored a CNN editorial calling for a “Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commision” to institutionalize much needed police and criminal justice reform. And U.S. Senior Senator from Colorado Michael Bennet endorsed Khazei on August 5th, citing his dedication to serving underprivileged children.

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Alan Khazei, City Year co-founder and service movement leader, is running for Congress in MA-04. He lives in Brookline with his wife, daughter, son, and dog Zuzu. Leading on the COVID-19 crisis, Khazei co-authored two Politico Op-Eds on saving small businesses and ramping up national service, issued a comprehensive COVID-19 Action Plan and published a three-part path forward on Medium. He also launched a comprehensive policy vision on climate action and on transportation, found on his website. In addition to Leon Panetta, Khazei has been endorsed by Senior Senator from Colorado, Michael Bennet, Former President and CEO of the NAACP, Professor Rev. Cornell William Brooks, State Senator Marc Pacheco, Massachusetts State Representatives Jeff Roy and Smitty Pignatelli, Newton City Councillor and LGBTQ+ activist Holly Ryan, former National Security Advisor and UN Ambassador Susan Rice, Four-Star General Stanley McChrystal, Congressperson Jamie Raskin, former Mayor of New Orleans Mitch Landrieu, former Undersecretary of Defense Michele Flournoy, former U.S. Senator Gary Hart, former Assistant Secretary of Defense Douglas Wilson, Professor Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Saya Ameli Hajebi, National Spokesperson for the Sunrise Movement, lifelong Civil Rights activist Hubie Jones, prominent civic entrepreneur Colette Phillips, The Italian American Democratic Leadership Council, Everytown for Gun Safety, the Leadership Now Project, and Moms Demand Action as a Gun Sense Candidate

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www.alankhazei.com