So who is the man who snubbed GOP lawmaker Mitch McConnell at Elijah Cummings’ memorial service Thursday at the Capitol?
He’s Bobby Rankin, a pallbearer at Cummings’ Friday funeral, who, according to voter registration records, is a registered Democrat in North Carolina.
Rankin, 64, runs his own security business in Charlotte, according to his LinkedIn profile.
According to one Facebook user’s post, Rankin currently does security for the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
It’s unclear if he works with one specific church or several churches. But according to a 2015 church newsletter, he is described as “AMEC Security Specialist for the AME Church.” He also has done security for gospel singer Yolanda Adams.
A 2016 post on Adams’ Facebook page, written by a Facebook user, reads, “Please keep Bobby Rankin of Rankin Securities in prayer. He is back in the hospital and we, in the AME Church, are in prayer for him as well. We know he does security for Ms. Adams as well.”
Rankin also has had a handful of run-ins with the law over the past several decades, according to a background check, which lists several criminal and misdemeanor charges.
For example, in 1995 in Baltimore — Cummings’ hometown — the court offense is listed as “Theft: $300 plus value.” Under “Court Disposition,” the record states, “Failed to appear. Status: Warrant.”
Another record states that in 1992 in Baltimore, he was charged with theft for less than $300.
In 1986, he was charged with forgery of private documents, as well as theft/felony. The latter case was dismissed, though, according to records.
It seems that Rankin has cleaned up his act, with no recent convictions.
In fact, in 2015 he was given the President’s Award by the Women’s Missionary Society of the African Methodist Episcopal Church — the first male to be so honored — according to the church’s newsletter, the Christian Recorder.
According to the newsletter, when Rankin discovered he got the award, “he was shocked and astounded so much so that tears welled up his eyes.”
Rankin also donated a second round of bone marrow to his younger brother around that time, according to the newsletter, which added that he first gave his brother bone marrow 18 years prior.
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