(CNN) — Republican Senate candidate Mike Collins ended a press conference Thursday after repeatedly declining to answer questions about his relationship with a son-in-law who promoted White nationalist ideology and circulated antisemitic content online, as first revealed by CNN’s KFile.
Collins, a two-term congressman from Georgia, was appearing at Monroe County Hospital to outline his health care priorities.
But reporters pressed him to address online statements from his son-in-law, David Alan Scheer II, and whether Scheer had done business or campaign work for him. Collins said the matter had been “fully addressed” and pivoted to attacking Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff.
“You know, we’ve fully addressed that,” Collins said. “But Jon Ossoff refuses to disavow these democrat socialist movements in our country.”
Collins then criticized Ossoff over transgender rights, federal spending, immigration, bail policies and what he called “radical anti-Israel extremists.”
The questions followed a CNN KFile investigation into Scheer, who is married to Collins’ daughter, Summer.
CNN found that Scheer had used his large social media following to promote White nationalist ideology, share antisemitic conspiracy theories and circulate Nazi imagery. He has also called for Muslims to be deported and shared material promoting Patriot Front, a White supremacist group.
Scheer has appeared in family photographs on Collins’ campaign website and social media and attended Collins’ Senate primary election-night party. Voter and property records reviewed by CNN indicate that Scheer is registered to vote at a Collins-owned house adjacent to the congressman’s estate in Jackson, Georgia.
One of those photos was removed following CNN’s reporting. Collins told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution it was a “personal decision” to remove the photo.
At a press conference on Thursday in Washington, DC, Ossoff blasted Collins for not answering questions.
“The congressman still, two weeks later, refuses to answer whether he or his businesses paid this neo-Nazi,” Ossoff said. “And today, facing these questions from the press corps in Georgia, Congressman Mike Collins ran away. He is refusing to answer questions, and Georgians have a right to know the answers.”
Scheer also appears to have narrated promotional videos for Collins’ trucking company. In one social media post filmed in front of trucks, Scheer said he was producing videos for a “client.” CNN asked Collins’ campaign whether Scheer had worked for the company as an employee, contractor or in another capacity, and whether he had a role in Collins’ campaign.
Collins declined to answer repeated questions from reporters on Thursday, including if Scheer has done any paid work for his businesses or his campaign.
“Could you address the question regarding antisemitism?” one person interjected.
Collins continued criticizing Ossoff. As a reporter asked what role Scheer had played in Collins’ campaign, Collins said voters would “choose to get rid of” Ossoff in November.
“Could you address his question, please, sir?” another reporter asked.
When Collins ended the press conference, a person asked, “You don’t want to talk about your son-in-law at all? You want to embrace him in the family? Share his views?”
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