*Greg Gianforte, the Republican candidate in Montana’s special election accused of body slamming a Guardian reporter hours before the polls opened Thursday (May 25), also has ties to white supremacists, according to Mic.
Gianforte gave money to the campaigns of both Taylor Rose, whom the Southern Poverty Law Center has described as a white nationalist, and Robert Saunders, who allegedly has a history of advocating anti-black racist views. Gianforte also received a $2,700 campaign donation from Saunders.
According to Mic, Gianforte is also linked to Idaho preacher Douglas Wilson, who has suggested in his writings that the “black family has never been stronger than it was under slavery” and that women are “created to be dependent and responsive to a man.”
In a Missoulian article published May 18, Gianforte told the publication he wasn’t aware Rose was an alleged white nationalist when he donated to his unsuccessful state campaign. “I was unaware of some of his views, and we supported him because we supported all [Republican] candidates in the last election,” Gianforte said.
When pressed, Gianforte would not say whether knowing of Rose’s suspected beliefs would have affected his decision to donate to him, instead telling the paper that “hatred is wrong and has no place in government or politics.”
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