Colleagues defend Mike Collins’ handling of son-in-law drama
As he campaigns for the Senate, U.S. Rep. Mike Collins wants to focus on branding himself as a hard-working lawmaker who received bipartisan support in passing two bills signed into law.
But controversies tied to the people around him — most recently antisemitic and white nationalist social media posts by his son-in-law — have dogged him throughout his campaign. While Collins tries to refocus the conversation back on his conservative agenda, Democrats are working hard to ensure voters don’t forget about the drama.
Collins, a Jackson Republican who hopes to unseat incumbent U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff in November, said he has tried to be as clear as possible that he does not agree with or condone his son-in-law’s comments.
“He was wrong in what he said; I don’t believe that,” Collins said during an interview Wednesday. “I condemn all hate speech and always will. All you got to do, if you really want to know where we stand, (is) look at our voting record.”
U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, who finished in third place in the Republican primary for Senate, said Collins has done everything he could to address concerns.
“I think he’s handled it as best he can,” Carter said. “He’s made it clear that no one speaks for him and he doesn’t speak for anyone else.”
Another colleague, U.S. Rep. Andrew Clyde, said he considers this a private matter that has nothing to do with Collins’ Senate campaign.
“That’s a family issue that needs to be handled at the family level,” said Clyde, an Athens Republican. “That’s not an issue that should affect Mike Collins whatsoever because it’s not Mike Collins.”
But Democrats see it otherwise. Ossoff and allied groups continue to amplify the controversy in person and on the airwaves. They accuse Collins of dodging the issue when he abruptly ended a news conference last week once questions from the media focused on his son-in-law instead of healthcare.
Collins’ son-in-law, David Alan Scheer II, is a social media influencer with sizable followings on TikTok, YouTube, Telegram and other social media platforms. His content is a mix of religious musings and physical fitness videos, but he also ranges into white nationalism, including support for the neo-fascist group the Patriot Front.
Scheer is married to Collins’ daughter and the couple live in a home on property owned by Collins adjacent to his main residence in Jackson. CNN first reported on Scheer’s social media posts and that he appears to have produced videos for Collins’ trucking company.
Ossoff has called for Collins to apologize for the problematic statements of his son-in-law and others in his circle, and said he should be more transparent about whether he has paid anyone with ties to white nationalists through his campaign or business.
On Tuesday, the Democratic Party of Georgia parked a mobile billboard outside the offices of the Republican Party’s campaign arm for Senate races while Collins held a fundraiser there.
“Mike Collins: Neo-nazi ties. No answers,” it read.
A spokesman for the state party said the billboard was intended not only to bring attention to Collins’ son-in-law’s statements but also pressure Senate Republicans to comment publicly on whether they have any concerns about Collins’ campaign.
“Mike Collins is pathetically running away from accountability and outright refusing to answer questions about his ‘close ties’ to white nationalism,” senior communications adviser Devon Cruz said. “Georgians deserve answers and Collins needs to quit running from accountability and explain himself immediately.”
Collins said the attacks from Democrats accusing him of antisemitism are disingenuous. He points to the rise of democratic socialists, some of whom have vocally opposed the Israeli government, and the failed campaign of former Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner, who admitted to having a Nazi tattoo.
Ossoff never condemned them, Collins said. He also said Ossoff should be asked to defend votes he has taken to limit support for Israel.
“He needs to answer for that,” Collins said. “I don’t understand why the news media is chasing me when they should be chasing him and asking him.”