Dems call on Boehner to return money from former Nazi re-enactor

Former Republican nominee and Tea Party-backed candidate for Congress Rich Iott of Ohio (second from right) is pictured dressed in a German Waffen SS uniform.

/ The Atlantic

Democrats on Tuesday called on House Speaker John Boehner to return campaign contributions from Rich Iott, a onetime Nazi re-enactor who launched an unsuccessful congressional bid in 2010.

In a statement, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) said Boehner "should be ashamed of himself for accepting a contribution from someone he knows gets his kicks by pretending to be a Nazi."

"Clearly Boehner is so desperate for campaign cash or so removed from reality that he is accepting money from a Nazi enthusiast," said the DCCC's Jesse Ferguson in the statement.

A recent report by the Washington Jewish Week pointed to filings by the FEC showing that Boehner's PAC received $2,400 - the maximum donation amount - from Iott earlier this year.

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The National Jewish Democratic Council (NJDC) also demanded that Boehner return the funds.

"One year after campaigning on behalf of House candidate and Nazi re-enactor Rich Iott, a report has surfaced indicating that Iott is a max-out donor to House Speaker John Boehner's political action committee," said NJDC President and CEO David A. Harris on Tuesday. "Boehner -- the most powerful Republican in America and the third person in the presidential succession line -- owes American Jews and WWII veterans an explanation as to how he can continue to associate himself with Iott, given his widely-known disturbing behavior."

He added: "For American Jews, Boehner's continued silence and inaction will demonstrate that the most powerful Republican in the country does not respect our community's sensitivities."

Iott came under the spotlight last year after the Atlantic's Joshua Green reported that Iott, who was part of the National Republican Congressional Committee's "Young Guns" program, donned German Waffen SS uniforms for Nazi re-enactments, in which he participated with his son.

At the time, Iott told the Associated Press he was not a Nazi sympathizer, and had participated in the re-enactments as a way to educate the public. He said he had been active in the re-enactment group for three to four years, though he noted that his name may have been on the roster for longer than that. Iott also noted that he has participated in re-enactments of various natures - from World War I and II to the Civil War (in which he dressed as American soldiers from both sides) on and off for about 35 years.

"I don't see anything wrong about educating the public about events that happened," Iott said of the controversy. "And that's the whole purpose of historical re-enacting."

He added: "Never, in any of my re-enacting of military history, have I meant any disrespect to anyone who served in our military or anyone who has been affected by the tragedy of war, especially the Jewish Community."

Still, Iott's involvement in the re-enactments immediately drew fire from his opponent, Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur, who was ultimately re-elected and remains the longest-serving Democratic woman in the House. (Recently, Samuel "Joe the Plumber" Wurzelbacher announced he would be challenging Kaptur this time around.)

Boehner's office did not respond to a request for comment.

The NJDC on Wednesday also called on Republican Ohio Senate candidate State Treasurer Josh Mandel to return a donation from Iott.

Mandel received a $1,000 contribution from Iott and according to the Toledo Blade, his spokesman recently dismissed demands that he return the funds as a "a manufactured nonissue."

"As a Jewish elected official, Josh Mandel has a unique responsibility to make it clear that Rich Iott's past behavior is unacceptable and repugnant," said Harris. "The National Jewish Democratic Council purposefully waited for two months since Mandel's disturbing receipt of Iott's campaign contribution -- and weeks since mainstream media reports -- to give Mandel plenty of time to act responsibly and return the money."

Harris remarked that based on Mandel's spokesman's response to the matter, "it appears that the Mandel campaign does not understand how offensive it is for a person seeking elected office to be associated with someone who wore the Nazi uniform as a hobby."

[outsource_congress]

The man does re-enactments of military conflicts as a hobby, as a teaching tool and a learning tool. It wouldn't be very educational or effective to represent only one side of historical fact. Just because he donned a historical period costume does not make him a sympathizer of anything but history. Boehner should keep the money and tell the people demanding he return it to take a flying leap at a rolling donut. Maybe he should invite them to attend one of the educational re-enactments so they could learn a little something. Idiots. There are really much more important things they should be focused on instead of this kind of tripe. The donations they should be worried about are the ones coming from the real contemporary fascists like corporations and Wall Street. That's the money they should demand be returned. Idiots.

[BibleFirst]

Stephen S. Wise (president of the World Jewish Congress, 1936 to 1949) was elected Co-Chairperson of the American Zionist Emergency Council, a forerunner of AIPAC. On February 24, 1943, Stephen S. Wise issued a public statement declaring that giving money out of the United Jewish Appeal fund for the rescue of Jews in Europe would not be justified. In 1944 the Emergency Committee to Save the Jewish People called upon the US government to establish a War Refugee Board. Stephen S. Wise, testifying before a special committee of Congress, objected to this proposal. According to Dr. David Kranzler, Stephen S. Wise dismissed reports of unfair treatment of Jews in Germany as untrue propaganda.

Zionist leaders (including Stephen S. Wise) openly withheld support (financially and otherwise) to save Jews from great suffering resulting because of World War Two. When Nazis in Germany asked for money to help Jews in Germany, partly because of their desire to establish contact with Western powers that, they believed, were under Jewish influence, Zionist leaders did not agree to supply money needed to help Jews in Germany.

[BibleFirst]

Stephen S. Wise (president of the World Jewish Congress, 1936 to 1949) was elected Co-Chairperson of the American Zionist Emergency Council, a forerunner of AIPAC. On February 24, 1943, Stephen S. Wise issued a public statement declaring that giving money out of the United Jewish Appeal fund for the rescue of Jews in Europe would not be justified. In 1944 the Emergency Committee to Save the Jewish People called upon the US government to establish a War Refugee Board. Stephen S. Wise, testifying before a special committee of Congress, objected to this proposal. According to Dr. David Kranzler, Stephen S. Wise dismissed reports of unfair treatment of Jews in Germany as untrue propaganda.

Zionist leaders (including Stephen S. Wise) openly withheld support (financially and otherwise) to save Jews from great suffering resulting because of World War Two. When Nazis in Germany asked for money to help Jews in Germany, partly because of their desire to establish contact with Western powers that, they believed, were under Jewish influence, Zionist leaders did not agree to supply money needed to help Jews in Germany.

Franklin Roosevelt (president of the US federal government) was a liar, a swindler, a robber, a traitor, and a mass murderer. After doing everything he could for a couple of years to provoke the Japanese to attack the US Navy, he could at least have warned Admiral Kimmel and General Short, who would have acted immediately to save American lives.

The so-called holocaust against communist political prisoners did not occur, and was a big lie created by the mass media. The real holocaust was against Jews and Gentiles; the crimes of this holocaust were committed by the US, British, and Soviet federal governments.

After the US, British, and Russians got control of German work camps, the Holocaust occurred. Six million Jews and Gentiles were exterminated by the US, British, and Russian federal governments, according to James Bacque in his two books Other Losses and Crimes and Mercies. According to James Bacque, most of the Holocaust crimes were committed by US servicemen under the control of a US federal government army officer by the name of Dwight Eisenhower who was under the control of Franklin Roosevelt who was reported to be under the control of fake Jews who were atheists and Marxists.

US servicemen and their leader Dwight Eisenhower disgraced and dishonored the United States of America. They stained the honor of the United States of America; this stain on the honor of the United States of America will never be removed. A federal government guilty of such crimes against humanity should be abolished.

Adolf Hitler and a Jew by the name of Alfred Rosenberg believed that fake Jews (atheists and Marxists) were behind communism — probably most of them independent atheists and probably a minority of them Zionists. Hitler and Rosenberg believed these fake Jews wanted to use the communist doctrine as a tool for achieving a world-wide totalitarian dictatorship. Because these fake Jews were atheists who did not obey the Bible, these fake Jews felt free to allow horrible crimes against humanity; these fake Jews are the people who are responsible for the Holocaust. The crimes these fake Jews caused are so horrible that these fake Jews were fearful of punishment; by 2009 most of them are dead, and the remaining fake Jews responsible for the Holocaust are so old that they probably will not be prosecuted.

Between 1947 and 1997 these fake-Jew Holocaust criminals had dominating control of the mass media in most industrialized nations, and used the mass media to cover up their Holocaust crimes. For fifty years ridiculous lies about Germans were spewed out by the mass media in an effort to keep the masses from finding out the truth about World War Two. The Germans are innocent, and should be praised for their fine treatment of communist political prisoners when Germans had control over work camps.

In 1947 it was reported that the President of Chile said Germany won World War Two because of German victories in the final two battles of World War Two -- against the British in the South Atlantic and against the US in Antarctica.

[AmericasConscious]

Don't the Dems have better things to do like come up with jobs bills that aren't little expensive stimulus packages and create real jobs. This isn't going to put food on the unemployed's table.

Did I sound like the whiners on the left from yesterday who were crying about the GOP voting to reaffirm, 'In God we trust' and not creating jobs?

[think888]

History reenactment! BS!!! This is really sick stuff. My friend's mother had a twin sister. She and her sister were both victims of Mengele in the death camps. Her sister died in the died camps and she herself committed suicide years later after the war when she began to imagine ******** like this so called history buff pounding on her door. I believe the SS unit they are dressing up as are the same unit that picked up my friends mother.

[Progress4USA]

In a statement, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) said Boehner "should be ashamed of himself for accepting a contribution from someone he knows gets his kicks by pretending to be a Nazi."
----

Oh come on DCCC...this guy is only pretending Nazi and Boehner's only pretending to be a congressman. "Its just a joke!"

[Jim1900]

Maybe Hollywood actors who portray Nazis should be banned from political parties too. What about the financiers who finance their movies? There are also the people who make their uniforms.

While we are on the subject, all the Japanese in the kamikaze raids should be replaced by Eskimos too.

[longtree-2009]

what about solyndra? obama and administration gave the company millions and it still went bankrupt. reportedly the obama administration was thinking of giving solyndra more money to keep it afloat. as for the nazi money, boehner should return the lousy 2400 bucks, it's just pennies, as a symbolic gesture.

[sugar_maple]

Oh please people... America helped employee the past Nazi's even after WWII. Many came to be scientists here in America. Why no hate on some guy who dressed up as one and gave money as a donation to some crazy Repubtard. No offense... but really?! I shave my head, does that make me a Nazi skinhead? NO.

[jackp32]

C'mon John. The obvious and smart thing to do is to return the money along with a note telling the NAZI wannabe where to stick the money. Nothing to debate or discuss with the staff. Man up and bring the matter to a close.