House majority whip Steve Scalise (R., La.) spoke to an event hosted by a white-nationalist group when he was a state legislator in 2002, according to multiple reports.
Scalise’s office has confirmed that he took part in the event organized by the European-American Unity and Rights Organization (EURO), a group founded by former Ku Klux Klan leader and Louisiana politician David Duke, and says his limited staff at the time had not properly vetted the event. He attended the event while campaigning against a state budget measure.
“Throughout his career in public service, Mr. Scalise has spoken to hundreds of different groups with a broad range of viewpoints,” Scalise spokeswoman Moira Bagley told the Washington Post. She explained that he attended the event while campaigning against a state ballot initiative.
“He has never been affiliated with the abhorrent group in question,” Bagley continued. “The hate-fueled ignorance and intolerance that group projects is in stark contradiction to what Mr. Scalise believes and practices as a father, a husband, and a devoted Catholic.”
After the report, Scalise, the third-ranking House Republican since earlier this year, has already been backed by some high-profile Republicans, including Peter King of New York and Steve King of Iowa, as well as former House speaker Newt Gingrich and Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal.
The support comes amid speculation about whether the news would lead Scalise to resign his leadership position, like Republican senator Trent Lott, who resigned from legislative leadership in 2002 after he praised former segregationist candidate and senator Strom Thurmond.
The story first emerged on a left-leaning Louisiana politics website, which linked to reports of Scalise’s appearance.