Ossoff says Collins is surrounded by "white nationalists, neo-Nazis, and Klan associates"
Jon OssoffU.S. senator from Georgia and Democratic candidate for reelection, in a campaign statement
Ossoff released a statement criticizing Collins over the campaign appointments, saying Collins is surrounded at work, at home and now at his campaign by white nationalists, neo-Nazis and Klan associates.
Responding to
Mike Collins staffed his congressional office with people who hold neo-Nazi or white nationalist views.
“Another week, another scandal for Mike Collins, who is surrounded at work, at home, and now at his campaign by white nationalists, neo-Nazis, and Klan associates”
Reporting
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Did Mike Collins hire aides with white nationalist ties, as Jon Ossoff claimed?
At the October 8, 2026 Georgia Senate debate, Sen. Jon Ossoff told Rep. Mike Collins he had hired "half the Third Reich" to staff his congressional office and had promoted neo-Nazi content online. The charge followed months of reporting about a former Collins chief of staff, a former intern, Collins's son-in-law and two campaign organizers. Collins says he condemns racism and antisemitism and fired people when problems arose. Whether those aides and associations match Ossoff's description is disputed.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
FOX 5 Atlanta summarizes the Daily Beast report and quotes the Collins campaign's statement that the organizers' past associations were not known to the campaign, along with Ossoff's response.
Reporting
About this source
The Daily Beast reports that two county organizers in Collins's Senate campaign, Joshua Mote and Michael Boggus, held leadership roles in American Patriots USA, a group founded by former Ku Klux Klan leader Chester Doles. Mote says he left the group when he learned who Doles was. The report notes that Collins called the group a hate organization in 2019.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
The Daily Beast reported that two Collins campaign convoy captains, Joshua Mote and Michael Boggus, had held leadership roles in American Patriots USA, a group founded by former Ku Klux Klan leader Chester Doles. Ossoff's statement came the day before the first debate.
After the quotation
The Collins campaign said the organizers' past associations were not known to it and that their views do not represent Collins.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Relative to Collins's staffing and associations, Ossoff expressly condemns them, describing white nationalist, neo-Nazi and Klan ties in Collins's office, family and campaign.
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- Mike Collins
More from this case
Read the full caseJosh Marshall says Ossoff's Third Reich line stated facts in the public record
“Ossoff didn’t call Mike Collins a Nazi. ... This isn’t some random swipe. It’s been one of the biggest stories of the campaign season that week after week reporters keep finding members of Collins campaign, political operation or family who are associated with far-right or neo-Nazi individuals and organizations or who distribute anti-Semitic propaganda. This is merely an aggressive statement of facts that are unambiguously in the public record.”Read statement
Brooks tells Ossoff to stop calling opponents Nazis but calls Collins's circle disturbing
“Jon Ossoff, my advice to him is, if you start calling your political opponents Nazis, maybe it's time to shut up. That's just not what we do here in this country. And the Bull Connor stuff -- and a lot of these candidates have real weaknesses. Like, Mike Collins, who's the Georgia Republican, I think what's accurate to say about him is, he has a disturbing number of young men on his -- around him who have ties to the alt-right and some of the vile antisemitic stuff online.”Read statement
Filipkowski calls Ossoff's line hyperbolic but says Collins hired the Third Reich's disciples
“While it was a bit hyperbolic for Ossoff to say that Mike Collins hired half the Third Reich to staff his office, it is accurate to say he hired their disciples.”Read statement
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- Ossoff says Collins is surrounded by "white nationalists, neo-Nazis, and Klan associates"
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The Dispute Index. "Ossoff says Collins is surrounded by "white nationalists, neo-Nazis, and Klan associates"". First published: 2026-10-13. Last updated: 2026-10-13. https://disputeindex.com/events/5646-ossoff-released-a-statement-criticizing-collins-over-the