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Gosar Says ‘Fake News’ When Challenged on Charlottesville Claims

Congressman’s brothers and sisters write letter demanding he apologize to Soros

Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., has suggested that the violence at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, was a false flag funded by liberal donor George Soros. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)
Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., has suggested that the violence at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, was a false flag funded by liberal donor George Soros. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Republican Rep. Paul Gosar walked away from an interview, shouting “fake news” when he was pressed by a CNN reporter about his claims that the racial violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, might haven been a left-wing plot.

In an interview with Vice News earlier this month, Gosar said the person who organized the “Unite the Right” rally “an Obama sympathizer.”

Gosar said liberal billionaire George Soros was “one of those people that actually helps back these individuals.”

When asked about those claims Wednesday, he said, “I said ‘Wouldn’t it be interesting to find out?’ I did not say that, so go back and retool that.”

When asked what proof he had about that being a possibility, Gosar said “stay tuned.”

“Check out my website later this evening,” he told the reporter. “You’ll find out.”

When the reporter said many of his comments had been debunked, Gosar responded, “It’s not been debunked whatsoever, so stay tuned.” 

Gosar then criticized CNN for how it was covering recent news about the Clinton campaign and its ties to a salacious dossier about President Donald Trump.

“You’re not real news — you’re fake news,” he said as he started walking away.

The term “fake news” is a favorite epithet for CNN by the President.

While the Kaye said that Gosaer’s website featured a ’60 Minutes’ interview with Soros. But Soros said in the interview he never helped take property from Jewish people during the Holocaust.

The post also has a link to a far-right radio host who blamed Charlottesville on Democrats and said Soros sponsored groups that bused in people into the town. But as of Thursday morning, there appeared to be nothing on Gosar’s website about the subject.

Members of Gosar’s family disavowed his conspiracy speculation and said he should apologize to Soros.

In a letter to the Daily Miner earlier this week, Gosar’s siblings criticized his previous comments, particularly his comments that Soros, who is Jewish, was involved in turning in Jews to the Nazi regime.

“First, Paul confabulated horrendous lies about Soros as a young boy who survived the Holocaust, and followed it with invented notions that Soros was behind the Charlottesville Nazis,” the family wrote.

The letter was signed by Gosar’s siblings Joan, Dave, Tim, Grace, Gaston and Jennifer.

“It is extremely upsetting to have to call you out on this, Paul, but you’ve forced our hand with your deceit and anti-semitic dog whistle,” the letter said. “We look forward to your apology on Vice.”

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