Pennsylvania governor: End TV series ‘Amish Mafia’

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett and other politicians have signed a statement calling on the Discovery Channel to drop the series “Amish Mafia.”

The statement says “Amish Mafia” is a “bigoted portrayal” of the religious sect and misrepresents the Amish in Pennsylvania’s Lancaster County as a “crime-ridden culture.”

The statement is signed by 18 elected officials, including congressmen, state senators, state representatives and Lancaster’s mayor. Pennsylvania’s two U.S. senators signed a similar statement.

The campaign against “Amish Mafia” is being organized by a Lancaster-based group called Respect Amish.

The show purports to follow a group of Amish men who enforce law and order within the community. Questions have persisted about its veracity.

Discovery spokeswoman Laurie Goldberg declined comment on the letter. She has said the characters on the show are, in fact, real-life Amish.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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