In January, during a New Hampshire legislative committee hearing, Republican state Rep. Matt Sabourin dit Choinière moved an amendment that would have inserted a longtime German Holocaust denier into the state’s public-school advisory process for Holocaust and genocide education. The proposal — backed at the hearing by Germar Rudolf, who has repeatedly denied the use of gas chambers and other core facts of the Holocaust — sought to influence how lesson plans and resources are developed. The amendment failed, but the episode highlights how antisemitic extremism can try to enter mainstream political and educational institutions.
What happened
The New Hampshire Commission on Holocaust and Genocide Education advises schools on curriculum and resources. On Jan. 14, Democratic Rep. Loren Selig, a commission member, introduced a bill to extend the commission’s term. Immediately afterward, Sabourin dit Choinière offered an amendment to add a new commission member nominated by an extremist group led by Germar Rudolf. Rudolf and two other men known for antisemitic activism testified at the hearing after Sabourin invited them. Selig, who is Jewish, said she was shocked and could hardly speak. The amendment won no legislative support but was celebrated by Holocaust deniers as a ‘‘breakthrough.’’
Who is involved
Matt Sabourin dit Choinière, elected in 2024 and associated with New Hampshire’s libertarian Free State movement, declined interview requests but told reporters by email he stood by the proposal and that ‘‘my position is not hatred.’’ On April 14, Holocaust Remembrance Day, he posted a photo of himself presenting the amendment with the caption, ‘‘ahead of our time.’’
Germar Rudolf is a long‑time Holocaust denier with a criminal record. Holocaust denial is illegal in Germany, where Rudolf has been convicted, and he has also faced criminal charges in the U.S. In 2020 he was convicted in Pennsylvania of open lewdness and indecent exposure after being found partially nude at a children’s playground in the early morning; testimony described previous incidents of public nudity. Rudolf told police a bottle of baby oil he carried was for dry skin, explanations a jury rejected; he was sentenced to probation and later pleaded guilty to trespassing on school grounds and disorderly conduct in 2022. Rudolf became a U.S. lawful permanent resident partly through marriage to an American woman; that marriage ended in divorce and his criminal history could affect his immigration status.
Reactions from Republican groups and officials
After media inquiries, some conservative groups and elected Republicans reacted. Americans for Prosperity–New Hampshire issued a statement opposing antisemitism and discrimination and noted that the endorsement Sabourin has cited came from an earlier cycle; other groups did not respond to requests. Republican Rep. Brian Cole, who had accepted Sabourin’s endorsement, said he was unaware of Sabourin’s support for Holocaust denial and rescinded the endorsement. Former New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte condemned the effort, saying there is no place for antisemitism or criminal Holocaust deniers on state commissions.
Wider significance and concerns
Deborah Lipstadt, the U.S. special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism and an expert on Holocaust denial, called the episode ‘‘extremely concerning.’’ The incident comes amid broader worries about rising antisemitism on parts of the political right and within some pro‑Trump circles. Prominent conservatives have publicly warned about the problem: Sen. Ted Cruz has said he has seen growing antisemitism on the right in the past 18 months, and commentator Dan Bongino described antisemitism as a ‘‘cancer’’ on the MAGA movement.
Why it matters
Though the amendment failed and drew no legislative support, the hearing demonstrated how Holocaust denial activists can try to insert themselves into official education structures and how quickly extremist views can be amplified when they are given a platform in legislative settings. The episode prompted public rebukes only after media attention, raising questions about how such proposals are policed, how political movements respond to internal antisemitism, and what safeguards should exist to protect school curriculum from extremist interference.