Missouri Democrat Booted From Committees After Picture With Accused Holocaust Denier

Sarah Unsicker, a Democratic State Rep from Missouri, has been removed from her committee assignments after posting a picture on social media with an influencer the Anti-Defamation League calls a Holocaust denier and “alt-right troll.” 

Unsicker’s original post on X featured a photo of herself with Charles C. Johnson, who has an entire page dedicated to him on the ADL’s website. She confirmed the identity of Johnson in a separate post that is still up. 

The four-term rep, who is running for Missouri attorney general in 2024, claimed on her Substack that she was unaware of any formal inquiry or complaints against her. However, on Friday afternoon, she claims that Republican State House Speaker Dean Plocher notified her that his office had received a letter announcing her expulsion from her committee posts. 

Missouri House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, another Democrat, issued an announcement confirming Unsicker’s removal on Friday. 

“During her time in the legislature, Rep. Sarah Unsicker has proven a strong advocate for society’s vulnerable, especially children,” Quade wrote.

“Recently, however, she has chosen to use social media to promote individuals who espouse baseless conspiracies and racist and antisemitic ideologies that are antithetical to the values of inclusiveness, tolerance and respect House Democrats are dedicated to upholding,” she continued. “As a result, I am removing Rep. Unsicker from all committees as the process of evaluating her future as a member of the House Democratic Caucus begins.”

The ADL describes Johnson as “a Holocaust denier and alt-right troll.” The listing on their website writes, “Johnson’s Holocaust denial came to the forefront in January 2017 when he hosted an ‘Ask Me Anything’ session on Reddit. When asked about his opinion on the Holocaust and the “Jewish Question,” Johnson asserted that the number of Jews killed was false. He also claimed he agreed with David Cole ‘about Auschwitz and the gas chambers not being real.’”

The website continued. “Johnson is also the founder of a crowdfunding website that reportedly raised more than $150,000 in 2017 for the neo-Nazi Andrew Anglin’s legal defense. On two separate occasions, in October 2017 and in February 2018, Johnson was invited to Capitol Hill by Rep. Dana Rohrabacher and Rep. Matt Gaetz, respectively.”

In a Thursday statement, Unsicker expressed confusion about her removal and how it unfolded.

“I am confused by the statement that I have ‘promoted individuals’ who espouse ‘baseless conspiracy theories.’ I have not been offered any explanation of how my behavior was different from my typical behavior, including my refusal to respond to slanderous representations about others,” she wrote.

Unsicker wrote that “despite the fact that I have not been formally removed from committees,” there is deleted information from the official House website as to her a membership of the House Subcommittee on Appropriations, Health, Mental Health, and Senior Services. She also says she’s been removed from the Children and Families Committee.

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