Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) Image by Getty Images

A Republican member of Congress endorsed this week an alt-right activist known for spreading anti-Semitism, Mother Jones reported Thursday.

California Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, who was recently condemned for attending a fundraiser with a Holocaust denier, posted a photo on Instagram of him shaking hands with Gracey Larrea-Van Der Mark, a candidate for a school board seat in Huntington Beach, California. In the caption, Rohrabacher called her a “patriot.”

View this post on Instagram

Proud to be supporting Gracey Van Der Mark for school board. She is a patriot and a parent who has great potential to make a difference for our children and our state.. and yes, our country. #ca48 #ovsd #oceanviewschooldistrict #huntingtonbeach

A post shared by Dana Rohrabacher (@surfdana) on Sep 18, 2018 at 3:28pm PDT

Larrea-Van Der Mark participated in an alt-right protest in 2017 against a workshop on white privilege, the OC Weekly reported. She left a comment on one of the event’s YouTube videos, describing it as being run by “elderly Jewish people” who told the “colored people” what to do. The story also brought to light one of her YouTube Channel playlists, called “Holocaust Hoax?,” which includes about six anti-Semitic videos.

She was subsequently removed from two school district commissions, a move approved by the Anti-Defamation League. “These words and actions call into question her ability to serve as an appointed leader in the Huntington Beach community,” the organization said in a statement.

Rohrabacher’s Democratic challenger, Harley Rouda, put out a statement regarding the endorsement, according to Jewish Insider.

Rouda wrote: “Dana’s embrace of a school board candidate who professes bigoted ideas, who associates with white supremacists and anti-Semites, means Dana is embracing hate.”

Alyssa Fisher is a news writer at the Forward. Email her at [email protected], or follow her on Twitter at @alyssalfisher

Are you one of our 2%?

Did you know that only 2% of Forward readers donate to support our nonprofit newsroom? That 2% make it possible for millions to read the Forward without a paywall or subscription — removing any barriers to the full and fair Jewish story.

But while the Forward is free to read, it isn’t free to produce. Big stories — like deep dives into the antisemitism data, political scoops or reporting trips to college campuses  —  take months of research and fact-checking. All while we keep you informed of what you need to know each day.

Don’t just read the Forward — invest in it. Support our work today!

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Forward Publisher & CEO

Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$120 $180 $360 OTHER AMOUNT