FOUNDER OF WHITE SUPREMACIST 'THINK TANK' ENDORSES CANDIDATE IN PA CONG. RACE; CANDIDATE ACCEPTS ENDORSEMENT

Here’s something curious. Remember how the white supremacist National Policy Institute held a secret “shadow conference” for attendees of this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC)? Well, the guy forefront of this pic is James B. Taylor, a founding member of the National Policy Institute. Next to him is PA Congressional Primary Candidate Art Halvorson. And they just became BFFs in the race there.

PoliticsPA

Harrisburg’s Patriot News reported that businessman Art Halvorson, who is challenging Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Blair) for his seat in the 9th district, has accepted the endorsement of a founding member for a white supremacist think tank.

Franklin County GOP Chairman Dwight Weidman brought to attention Halvorson’s support from James B. Taylor, a former board member and and vice president of the National Policy Institute (NPI).

In the mission statement on their website, the NPI aims “to elevate the consciousness of whites, ensure our biological and cultural continuity, and protect our civil rights. The institute … will study the consequences of the ongoing influx that non-Western populations pose to our national identity.”Jarring statement aside, civil rights group the Southern Poverty Law Center called the NPI one of the leaders in the world of “academic racism.”

Halvorson’s campaign defended themselves, stating that Taylor is no longer a member of NPI, which was confirmed for PennLive by the organization’s executive director Richard Spencer. The campaign also believed that Weidman was only bringing this up to show support for Shuster when the Franklin County GOP doesn’t endorse during primary elections.

Weidman, though, said he is only concerned about transparency for voters. “It concerns me because it goes to the judgment of someone like Halvorson,” he said. “I warned him that it doesn’t show good judgment to take an endorsement from someone with such extreme views. If he didn’t know, it would be one thing. But he was warned.”

In a statement to PennLive, Halvorson’s campaign denounced racism and claimed he would never knowingly associate with someone who had such beliefs. “The Shuster campaign is trying to rehash this old story for purely political purposes to discredit a surging Halvorson campaign right before the primary on May 20,” his office said.

“Art Halvorson decided to stand shoulder to shoulder with Jim Taylor despite his past ties to racist organizations.  That is unfortunate,” Shuster’s campaign manager Sean Joyce told PoliticsPA. “Halvorson’s decision to double down on this endorsement and defend Jim Taylor is even more disappointing.”  

When the Chambersburg Public Opinion interviewed Taylor during his write-in campaign to represent Franklin County in the state Senate in 2012, Taylor noted that he had not been involved with NPI for years. He emphasized that he especially would not be involved at that time because of “what they have on their website now.”

Spencer labeled Taylor’s statement as insincere, saying that while it’s true Taylor is no longer a member, NPI is still the same organization it was back when it was founded in 2005. This was the time period when Taylor was on the board of directors.

“The idea that [NPI] has diverted from its mission is ridiculous,” Spencer said. “If [Taylor] didn’t know what this organization was about, then he is one of the most absurdly naive individuals on the face of this earth.”

Taylor has also been tied to a group similar to NPI. He was the executive director of America’s PAC when it donated $5,000 to the Charles Martel Society, as reported by The Public Opinion. The society was founded in 2001 by William H. Regenery, who is coincidentally also a cofounder of NPI.

Weidman said he believes it would be prudent for Halvorson to admit that accepting Taylor’s support was merely a mistake.

“We need to try to come together more and not split ourselves one way or another,” he said. “I know Art, and as county chairman I want to keep things clean and good in these races. [Halvorson] is not a bad guy, but I do think he has had a serious lapse in judgment.”