Cynthia McKinney is a controversial former member of the United States Congress from Georgia. McKinney was born in Atlanta, Georgia on March 17, 1955 Cynthia was the first African American woman from Georgia to serve in the United States House of Representatives. McKinney has a a sixteen-year-old son, Coy McKinney.
A prominent Democrat, she was defeated at the polls in 2002 because of an interview on KPFA Radio (San Francisco) in which she allegedly implied that George W. Bush knew of the September 11 terrorist attacks before they happened and failed to prevent them. The story was picked up by The Washington Post.[1]
When New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani turned down a $10 million disaster-relief donation from Saudi prince Alwaleed bin Talal after the prince made comments blaming America’s Middle East policies for the September 11 terrorist attacks, McKinney wrote a letter to his Highness in which she asked that he send his check to a number of charities working on behalf of African Americans.
Although speculation suggested that she was considering a run for the Green Party nomination in the U.S. presidential election, 2004, in January of 2004, she declined a national campaign in favor of a Congressional campaign to unseat Rep. Denise Majette, who defeated her in the 2002 congressional election.