This January, in a drab New Hampshire legislative committee room, Republican state Rep. Matt Sabourin dit Choinière allied with a longtime German Holocaust denier to try to insert a conspiracy theory into public-school lesson planning: that the Nazis’ murder of six million Jews during the Holocaust was a hoax. The proposal failed, but the episode surfaced broader concerns about antisemitic extremism moving closer to the political mainstream.
The New Hampshire Commission on Holocaust and Genocide Education advises the state on standards and teaching resources. On Jan. 14, Democratic Rep. Loren Selig — a commission member who is Jewish — introduced a routine bill to extend the commission’s term. Moments later, Sabourin dit Choinière proposed an amendment to add a new commission member from an extremist group led by Germar Rudolf, a prominent Holocaust denier whose claims denying gas chambers have been repeatedly debunked. Rudolf was invited to testify at the hearing alongside two other men known for antisemitic activism.
Selig said she was “shocked” and could barely speak when Rudolf and the others appeared. Sabourin dit Choinière’s amendment drew no votes and failed, but deniers viewed the effort as a “breakthrough.” The episode, which has not been widely reported until now, prompted alarm from experts such as Deborah Lipstadt, who described the move as “extremely concerning.”
NPR’s investigation traced the players’ histories and uncovered a criminal record for Rudolf in the U.S. separate from his Holocaust denial. In 2020, Rudolf was convicted in Pennsylvania of open lewdness and indecent exposure after an officer found him partially naked at a children’s playground early in the morning. Testimony showed police had previously encountered him nude while swimming. Rudolf told police he was wearing “skimpy” tiger-print shorts to exercise and said he used a bottle of baby oil for dry skin; a jury rejected those explanations. He lost an appeal and was sentenced to probation. In 2022 he pleaded guilty to trespassing on school grounds and disorderly conduct.
Rudolf’s criminal history is relevant to his immigration status: he is a U.S. lawful permanent resident who became one in part through marriage, which later ended. Authorities have in other contexts sought to remove lawful permanent residents tied to antisemitic activity or extremist causes.
Sabourin dit Choinière, elected in 2024 and associated with New Hampshire’s libertarian “Free State” movement, has promoted endorsements and high marks from conservative groups including Turning Point Action, the state chapters of National Right to Life, and Americans for Prosperity. After NPR sought comment, some groups did not respond. Americans for Prosperity’s New Hampshire chapter issued a statement opposing antisemitism and noting that the referenced endorsement was from an earlier cycle.
After ignoring multiple calls and emails, Sabourin dit Choinière declined an NPR interview in the capitol, saying he didn’t have time before abruptly leaving. He later emailed that he stood by his 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.”
Some New Hampshire Republicans disavowed ties once NPR inquired. State Rep. Brian Cole, a Republican running for Congress, initially said he was “honored” to receive Sabourin dit Choinière’s endorsement; after being contacted by NPR, Cole said he was unaware of Sabourin dit Choinière’s support for Holocaust denial, rescinded the endorsement and wrote, “I unequivocally reject Holocaust denial and any form of antisemitism.” Former U.S. Sen. and current New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte said, “There is no place for antisemitism or hate of any kind in New Hampshire, and criminal Holocaust deniers have no business serving on state commissions.”
Observers see the episode as part of a larger trend of antisemitic ideas gaining traction in some right-wing circles. Far-right commentators known for antisemitic rhetoric have risen in prominence, and survey work has suggested antisemitic attitudes are particularly acute among some younger conservatives. NPR reporting has previously documented links between administration officials and antisemitic extremists or conspiracies. High-profile conservatives, including Sen. Ted Cruz and commentator Dan Bongino, have warned of growing antisemitism on the right — Cruz saying he has “seen more antisemitism in the last 18 months on the right than at any point in my lifetime,” and Bongino calling it a “cancer” on the MAGA movement.
Though Sabourin dit Choinière’s amendment did not pass, the hearing demonstrated how organized Holocaust deniers and allied activists can attempt to exploit routine policymaking to gain legitimacy. NPR’s reporting highlights both the local political dynamics in New Hampshire and the personal histories of the activists involved, including Rudolf’s criminal convictions and the odd detail of the contested bottle of baby oil that figured into his 2020 case.
The incident left members of the commission and lawmakers unsettled, and raised questions about accountability and the normalization of antisemitic extremism in American politics.