In January, a New Hampshire legislative hearing brought an alarming attempt to inject Holocaust denial into public-school policy. Republican state Rep. Matt Sabourin dit Choinière proposed an amendment that would have added a member from an extremist group led by Germar Rudolf to the New Hampshire Commission on Holocaust and Genocide Education, the body that advises the state on teaching standards and resources. The move followed a routine bill from Democratic Rep. Loren Selig, a commission member who is Jewish, to extend the commission’s term.
Rudolf — a longtime Holocaust denier whose claims denying gas chambers have been repeatedly discredited — was invited to testify at the hearing alongside two other men known for antisemitic activism. Lawmakers and commission members reacted with shock. Selig said she was stunned and at times could barely speak. Sabourin dit Choinière’s amendment failed without receiving any votes, but Holocaust deniers framed the episode as a breakthrough, and experts raised alarms about the broader implications for antisemitic extremism entering political spaces. Historian and antisemitism scholar Deborah Lipstadt described the proposal as “extremely concerning.”
An NPR investigation traced the backgrounds of those involved and reported criminal convictions for Rudolf in the United States. In 2020, Rudolf was convicted in Pennsylvania of open lewdness and indecent exposure after police found him partially naked at a children’s playground; testimony in that case included prior encounters with police while he was nude swimming. Rudolf told officers he was wearing “skimpy” tiger-print shorts to exercise and had used baby oil for dry skin, explanations a jury rejected; he was sentenced to probation and lost an appeal. In 2022 he pleaded guilty to trespassing on school grounds and disorderly conduct. Those convictions are relevant to his status as a U.S. lawful permanent resident, a status he obtained in part through marriage, which later ended. Authorities in other cases have sought to remove lawful permanent residents tied to extremist causes, making the criminal history notable in this context.
Sabourin dit Choinière, elected in 2024 and associated with New Hampshire’s libertarian “Free State” movement, has promoted endorsements and high ratings from conservative organizations, including Turning Point Action, state chapters of National Right to Life, and Americans for Prosperity. After reporters sought comment, some groups did not respond; Americans for Prosperity’s New Hampshire chapter issued a statement opposing antisemitism and noted the endorsement cited dated to an earlier cycle.
When NPR attempted to question him in the State House, Sabourin dit Choinière initially ignored multiple calls and emails, then declined an on-camera interview, saying he did not have time before abruptly leaving. He later emailed that he stood by the amendment and insisted “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.”
The episode prompted swift distancing from some Republicans once it came to light. State Rep. Brian Cole, a GOP congressional candidate, said he was initially “honored” to receive Sabourin dit Choinière’s endorsement; after reporters contacted him he 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 incident as part of a broader trend of antisemitic ideas gaining traction in some right-wing circles. Far-right commentators with histories of antisemitic rhetoric have become more prominent, survey research suggests some younger conservatives harbor particularly acute antisemitic views, and reporting has linked certain officials and influencers to extremist conspiracies. Prominent conservatives have publicly warned about the resurgence of antisemitism on the right: Sen. Ted Cruz said he has “seen more antisemitism in the last 18 months on the right than at any point in my lifetime,” and commentator Dan Bongino called it a “cancer” on the MAGA movement.
Although the amendment did not pass, the hearing revealed how organized Holocaust deniers and allied activists may try to use routine policymaking to gain legitimacy and access. The reporting that surfaced Rudolf’s convictions and other background details — including the contested baby oil explanation in the 2020 case — heightened concern among commission members and lawmakers. The incident left many unsettled and raised difficult questions about accountability and the normalization of antisemitic extremism in local and national politics.