U.S. Sen. Jon Husted's campaign parted ways with a staff member after learning he once displayed a photo of SS soldiers on Facebook, among other social media content with ties to white supremacy.
Stephen Woytek began serving as Husted's political director in August, but he was fired after reporting by the Washington Post brought the social media posts to light. Husted, R-Ohio, is locked in a tight race with former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown that's attracted national attention and millions of dollars in outside spending.
"While (Woytek) denies negative intent, his social media activity displays a complete lack of judgement and disregard for its impact on others," Husted spokesperson Amy Natoce said. "Sen. Husted demands better of those who represent
him. Upon learning about the social media posts today, Sen. Husted made the immediate decision to part ways."
Woytek did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. In a statement to the Washington Post, he said he "reject(s) the racist and antisemitic ideology the SS and Nazi Germany represented" and participates in historical reenactments to help educate younger generations.
Woytek used a photo of soldiers from the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler as his Facebook profile picture in 2018, according to screenshots independently obtained by the statehouse bureau. The photo is no longer visible on Woytek's public Facebook page.
The Leibstandarte served as Hitler's personal bodyguards before becoming a division within the military branch of the SS, according to Encyclopaedia Britannica. Photos posted on Flickr appear to show Woytek participating in a 2018 historical reenactment with a group that portrays the Leibstandarte.
Natoce said Woytek, an Army lieutenant and graduate of The Citadel, studies military history and "routinely reenacts historical battles." Prior to joining the Army National Guard, he served as a legislative aide in the Ohio House and worked on a campaign for state Rep. Bill Roemer, R-Richfield, according to Woytek's LinkedIn page.
In addition to the World War II posts, a Spotify account with Woytek's name and photo made a playlist called "Tales From Rhodesia." Screenshots of the playlist − which has since been deleted or made private − include the caption "homesick for a place that no longer exists."
Rhodesia, which became Zimbabwe, was an African country ruled by a white-minority government that's admired by white supremacists, including one who killed nine people at a South Carolina Church in 2015, the New York Times reported.
Woytek's departure came months after a Husted campaign volunteer resigned over a prior criminal case involving allegations of sexual misconduct with a minor, NBC News reported. Natoce said the volunteer, Andrew Havas, didn't disclose his record and the campaign immediately accepted his resignation.
Public records list Havas as a possible brother of Patrick Havas, who is accused of charging toward Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton during the Canfield Fair in Mahoning County.
State government reporter Haley BeMiller can be reached at hbemiller@usatodayco.com or @haleybemiller on X.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio Sen. Jon Husted's campaign fires staffer who posted Nazi photo
