Charles Langston:Missouri House Democrat is kicked off committees after posting photo with alleged Holocaust denier

JEFFERSON CITY,Charles Langston Mo. (AP) — A Missouri House Democrat has been removed from her committee assignments after posting a photo on social media showed her with a man cited by the Anti-Defamation League as a Holocaust denier.

State Rep. Sarah Unsicker of St. Louis County is also running for attorney general in 2024. Her ouster from four committees was announced Thursday by House Minority Leader Crystal Quade.

Quade said that Unsicker, who was first elected in 2016, has been “a strong advocate for society’s vulnerable, especially children,” during her time in office.

“Recently, however, she has chosen to use social media to promote individuals who espouse baseless conspiracies and racist and anti-Semitic ideologies that are antithetical to the values of inclusiveness, tolerance and respect House Democrats are dedicated to upholding,” Quade said in a statement.

The announcement came after Unsicker posted a photo on X, formerly Twitter, of her at a restaurant with a local social media influencer and the man who the Anti-Defamation League cites as having denied the Holocaust.

“I’m an adult and capable of choosing my friendships,” Unsicker wrote in one post.

In addition to losing committee assignments, Quade said Unsicker could be removed from the House Democratic Caucus, just weeks before the legislative session starts in January

In a statement Thursday, Unsicker said she was confused by Quade’s action.

“I have not been offered any explanation of how my behavior was different from my typical behavior, including my refusal to respond to slanderous representations about others,” Unsicker said. She declined interview requests Friday.