Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg will be a primetime speaker at the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday, despite his support and defense of a discredited New York Police Department program that systematically spied on American Muslims in their neighborhoods and places of worship during his tenure.

In interviews with The Intercept, Muslim attendees decried Bloomberg’s starring role at the convention, but numerous Democratic officials and lawmakers refused to condemn Bloomberg’s policies towards Muslims and expressed their delight at his appearance.

The Clinton campaign reached out to Bloomberg about a speaking role several weeks ago but the announcement didn’t become public until late last week, after the former mayor and billionaire businessman publicly endorsed the Democratic nominee.

The Clinton campaign has been courting endorsements from independents and centrist Republicans in an effort to appeal to Republican voters uncomfortable with Donald Trump. Bloomberg was first elected mayor in 2001 as a Republican and later became an independent. He seriously contemplated running for president himself this year. He remains an unapologetic defender of the financial services industry and his administration’s policing tactics.

At a luncheon for Muslim delegates on Monday, several Muslim Democrats told The Intercept they objected to Bloomberg’s invitation, saying it would only be welcome if he formally apologized for his support of the spying program.

Mohammed Shariff, a Philadelphia-based attorney who organized the event, said he has represented clients who have been surveilled on by the FBI. “I don’t think he should be here,” he said of Bloomberg.

“Either he should not be allowed to speak, or if he speaks he should apologize for it,” said Mazen Mokhtar, an official of the Muslim American Society.

Others expressed concern that Bloomberg’s invitation could be a sign Hillary Clinton might bring back Muslim profiling under a different name, potentially under the guise of something like the FBI’s controversial Countering Violent Extremism program. Imam Suetwidien Muhammad, president of the Muslim League of Voters of New Jersey, said of the invitation: “So what does that tell you? Hillary might do the same thing.”

Linda Sarsour, a New York delegate for Sen. Bernie Sanders, told The Intercept on Tuesday that it was hypocritical for Democrats to invite the former New York mayor. “Michael Bloomberg allowed and justified wholesale surveillance of Muslims under his watch,” she said, noting that when a similar proposal was “touted by then-GOP candidate Ted Cruz,” it was widely criticized by Democrats.

“How can we be mad at Cruz, but then give a platform to a former mayor of a city that targeted Muslims for their faith?” she asked.

But a long line of Democratic officials, including members of Congress and the spokesperson for the Hillary Clinton campaign, refused to criticize Bloomberg’s invitation or call for him to recant his support for surveilling Muslims.

They didn’t defend the spying program, but they did defend Bloomberg’s speaking role, which they cited as evidence of how inclusive and accepting the party is.

Hillary Clinton spokesman Brian Fallon said the invitation showed “the breadth of support that her candidacy is generating.” He explained: “There are going to be speakers that are disagreeing with her on a range of issues, but the point is that we can focus on coming together on the issues that are most important, and find common ground, and build bridges.”

The program was hardly a minor feature of Bloomberg’s tenure. The Associated Press revealed in 2011 that under Bloomberg, the NYPD had spied on every mosque within 100 miles of New York City and sent informants to infiltrate Muslim student organizations, charities, and businesses.

According to a 2007 report from the NYPD’s intelligence division, the department was investigating suspicious “radicalization indicators” such as “wearing traditional Islamic clothing [and] growing a beard,” abstaining from alcohol, and “becoming involved in social activism.” In 2012, the department was forced to admit in court testimony that the program had never generated an investigative lead, and in 2014, Mayor Bill de Blasio shut it down.

That didn’t please Donald Trump at the time: