Image by twitter

Internet troll Chuck Johnson, who has said he doesn’t believe in Auschwitz and its gas chambers, met with two Republican lawmakers in Congress on Wednesday — to talk about genetics, the The Daily Beast reported.

Representatives Andy Harris and Phil Roe were spotted walking with Johnson, HuffPost reporter Matt Fuller first noted Wednesday on Twitter. The meeting between Johnson, Harris and Roe came just days after the Minority Leader of the House stripped Congressman Steve King of his committee assignments, citing his public defense of white supremacy.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but is that Chuck C. Johnson walking with Reps. Phil Roe and Andy Harris?

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Both waited for him to get through security. pic.twitter.com/ybfdK8Bwqy

— Matt Fuller (@MEPFuller) January 16, 2019

Johnson is a former Breitbart News reporter, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported. In an “Ask Reddit” session from January 2017, he said, “I do not and never have believed the 6 million figure,” referring to the number of Jews who died in the Holocaust. He also said he agrees with Holocaust denier David Cole about “Auschwitz and the gas chambers not being real.”

Harris and Roe claim they weren’t aware of Johnson’s rhetoric.

“Of course I disavow and condemn white supremacy and anti-semitism,” Harris wrote in a joint statement.

“Congressman Roe was not aware of this individual’s viewpoints nor were they discussed during their brief meeting, and had the congressman been aware he would not have agreed to take the meeting,” it continued. “White supremacist and anti-Semitic views are abhorrent and have no place in our society.”

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

A message from our Publisher & CEO Rachel Fishman Feddersen

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.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

With your support, we’ll be ready for whatever 2025 brings.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount