The organizers behind the Conservative Political Action Conference denied an NBC News story about neo-Nazis openly mingling at the annual confab, branding the report “false” and “fake news” while touting the group’s pro-Israel stance.
However, following the right-wing organization’s repeated denials, NBC News reporter Ben Goggin posted video and photographic evidence of prominent white supremacists attending last week’s event—including one openly giving a Nazi salute. CPAC did not respond to The Daily Beast’s request for comment.
Despite CPAC leader Matt Schlapp’s threat to deny press passes to mainstream and left-leaning media outlets, Goggin was credentialed and reported from the conference that “racist extremists” had “secured official CPAC badges” and “openly mingled with conference attendees and espoused antisemitic conspiracy theories.”
The NBC report further noted that attendees included Greg Gonte, a Richard Spencer ally who was part of the deadlyUnite the Right Rally in Charlottesville; Ryan Sanchez, a former member of the neo-Nazi Rise Above Movement; and Jared Taylor, founder of the white supremacist website American Renaissance.