Alt-Right Candidate Paul Nehlen Threatens ADL

Paul Nehlen Image by YouTube

By Nathan Guttman February 8, 2018

Paul Nehlen, the “alt-right” congressional candidate who has associated himself with white supremacists and published lists of his Jewish critics, is now targeting the Anti-Defamation League.

Nehlen, who had been accused by the ADL of “spewing anti-Semitic conspiracy theories and unapologetically racist jargon,” is now vowing to go after the organization, presumably after being elected to Congress after defeating Speaker of the House Paul Ryan in his Wisconsin district’s Republican primary.

In an interview with the internet show Red Ice TV, which is known for hosting white supremacists and anti-Semites, Nehlen argued that the ADL’s criticism against him and his candidacy amounted to a breach of its tax-exempt status.

“I’m going to put an end to the ADL’s 501(c)3 status,” he said, referring to the section in the U.S. tax code providing exemptions for charities that do not involve themselves in political campaigns. “Mark my words, they are gonna be be sorry that they came after me because I will never, ever back down.”

An ADL spokesperson said in response: “For over a century, ADL has fought anti-Semitism and hate wherever the source, and we will continue to do so.”

Contact Nathan Guttman at guttman@forward.com or on Twitter @nathanguttman

Nathan Guttman, staff writer, was the Forward’s Washington bureau chief. He joined the staff in 2006 after serving for five years as Washington correspondent for the Israeli dailies Haaretz and The Jerusalem Post. In Israel, he was the features editor for Ha’aretz and chief editor of Channel 1 TV evening news. He was born in Canada and grew up in Israel. He is a graduate of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and the protests on college campuses.

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO