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Plenty of politicians are getting caught saying the quiet part out loud these days, but few have been as bold as Stephen Woytek, political director for U.S. Sen. John Husted, R-Ohio.
Woytek was rightly fired by Husted after discovery of social media activity that at best indicates a person so out of touch he should not be working on Husted’s campaign.
At one point, he was using as his Facebook profile picture a photograph of soldiers from the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler. That would be Hitler’s personal bodyguard. Woytek’s social media accounts also featured photos of him participating in reenactments featuring the Leibstandarte.
According to Yahoo News, his Spotify account included a playlist called “Tales from Rhodesia,” and the caption “homesick for a place that no longer exists.
Rhodesia was an African country ruled by the white minority, which was widely admired by white supremacists. That country is now Zimbabwe.
“While (Woytek) denies negative intent, his social media activity displays a complete lack of judgment and disregard for its impact on others,” Husted spokesperson Amy Natoce said. “Sen. Husted demands better of those who represent him. Upon learning about the social media posts today, Sen. Husted made the immediate decision to part ways.”
Woytek is not the first Husted staffer to be dismissed after disturbing information came to light. Earlier this year, a volunteer was asked to resign after it was discovered he’d failed to disclose his previous involvement in a case that included allegations of sexual misconduct with a minor.
Husted is making the right decisions in showing these folks the door. It sounds as though perhaps he’d better shore up his campaign’s vetting process, too.