COLUMBUS, Ohio — A Republican congressional candidate from Ohio, countering criticism from a House GOP leader, said he did nothing wrong by wearing a Nazi uniform while participating in World War II re-enactments.
Rich Iott told The Associated Press in an interview Monday that he took part in the historical re-enactments to educate the public, and does not agree with the Nazis’ views or their actions against Jews.
Asked whether it was wrong to wear a Nazi uniform, Iott said: “I don’t see anything wrong about educating the public about events that happened. And that’s the whole purpose of historical re-enacting.”
Iott faces Democratic incumbent Rep. Marcy Kaptur in Ohio in November’s election.
The Atlantic magazine first reported Friday that Iott had participated in the re-enactments wearing a Waffen-SS uniform.
Iott said Monday that he was in a re-enactment group for three or four years — though he believed his name remained on the group’s roster for longer. He said he and his then-teenage son had joined as a part of a shared interest in history.
The House Republicans’ No. 2 leader, Eric Cantor of Virginia, on Sunday said he repudiates Iott’s actions and would not support someone who would dress in Nazi attire.
