House Candidate Rich Iott Defends Nazi Uniform Photos

Rich Iott appears in this photo from his Facebook page- www.facebook.com/iottforcongress. A report says a Republican candidate for the U.S. House in Ohio dressed up in a German SS uniform to participate in Nazi reenactments.

(Courtesy: www.facebook.com/iottforcongress)

"Wiking members say they re-enact 'to honor' the Waffen SS soldiers. But honestly, who would honor such butchers?" Fought added.

The Wiking website states that the organization aims for "preservation of the history of WWII and the lifestyle of the German combat soldier."

A disclaimer on the page says that the "page or anyone involved in its creation, or members of reenactment groups listed here, are in no way affiliated with real, radical political organizations (i.e., KKK, Aryan Nation, American Nazi Party, etc.) and do not embrace the philosophies and actions of the original NSDAP (Nazi party)."

During an interview Iott did with Joshua Green, a senior editor of The Atlantic, he outlined his interest in Nazi history.

"I've always been fascinated by the fact that here was a relatively small country that from a strictly military point of view accomplished incredible things. I mean, they took over most of Europe and Russia, and it really took the combined effort of the free world to defeat them. From a purely historical military point of view, that's incredible," Iott said.

Other Republican leaders have begun to distance themselves from Iott.

"I would absolutely repudiate that and do not support an individual who would do something like that," said Republican Whip Eric Cantor, R-Va., in an interview with Fox News after the photo was published.

The American Gathering of Jewish Holocaust Survivors and Their Descendants said Iott's failure to apologize was "shameful."