Thomas C. Rabbitt

Thomas Carlyle Rabbitt Jr. was an American activist and politician who served as a member of the Washington State Senate from 1943 to 1947, and as vice president of the Washington Pension Union from 1938 to 1961.
He was elected as a Democrat with the support of the Washington Commonwealth Federation, but during the Canwell Committee hearings in 1948 he was charged with being a secret member of the Communist Party by several former party members. Rabbitt attacked their testimony as hearsay and challenged the legality of the hearings. When he was called to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1954, he was allowed to do so in a closed hearing due to health concerns, and afterward stated that he had refused to answer questions.
In a 2002 article, the Washington District of the Communist Party claimed Rabbitt as a member.