Republican Senator Jon Husted of Ohio has terminated the employment of an aide who was discovered using an image of Nazi SS soldiers as his Facebook profile photograph. The decision follows revelations from a Washington Post report regarding staff member Stephen Woytek.
Woytek, 25, had been appointed as the senator’s political director just last month as Husted navigated a tightly contested re-election campaign against former Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown. According to the report, Husted decided to “part ways” with the staffer after learning that Woytek followed a military re-enactment organization known as the LAH Living History Unit, which is associated with portraying the 1st SS Panzer division.
Further details from the Washington Post indicate that Woytek also curated a Spotify playlist with themes supportive of Rhodesia, adding to the concerns surrounding his background and affiliations.
It’s wild how quickly one social media misstep can cost you a job these days.
Did they actually check what else he was following? This feels like the tip of the iceberg.
Good on Husted for drawing a hard line. Some boundaries should never be crossed in public office.
Dismissing someone over a single profile pic seems harsh, but the Spotify playlist details are truly alarming.