New Hampshire Lawmaker’s Failed Attempt to Insert Holocaust Denial into School Curriculum Raises Antisemitism Alarm

In January 2024, Rep. Matt Sabourin dit Choinière (R) offered an amendment to a bill extending the term of the New Hampshire Commission on Holocaust and Genocide Education. The amendment would have added a member from an extremist group led by German Holocaust denier Germar Rudolf, thereby allowing a conspiracy claim that “the Nazis’ murder of six million Jews during the Holocaust was a hoax.” The proposal received no support and was defeated in committee.

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The commission, a nonpartisan body comprising educators, religious leaders and a survivor of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, sets standards for Holocaust instruction in public schools. On Jan. 14, Democratic Rep. Loren Selig (D) introduced legislation to extend the commission’s term, expecting swift passage. Sabourin’s amendment disrupted that expectation and highlighted a pattern of antisemitic activity within the state legislature, which has faced multiple reported incidents of anti-Jewish bigotry in recent years.

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• Matt Sabourin dit Choinière – elected in 2024, aligned with New Hampshire’s libertarian “Free State” movement; previously endorsed by Turning Point Action, New Hampshire Right to Life and Americans for Prosperity.

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• Germar Rudolf – German activist whose Holocaust-denial claims have been repeatedly debunked; convicted in Pennsylvania (2020) of open lewdness and indecent exposure, later sentenced to probation, and pleaded guilty to trespassing and disorderly conduct (2022).

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• Loren Selig – Democratic commissioner and Holocaust-education advocate; publicly expressed shock at the amendment.

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• Brian Cole – Republican congressional candidate who initially accepted Sabourin’s endorsement but rescinded it after learning of the Holocaust-denial link.

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• 2020 – Rudolf convicted of open lewdness and indecent exposure in Pennsylvania.

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• 2022 – Rudolf charged with trespassing on school grounds; pleads guilty.

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• Jan 14 2024 – Selig introduces bill to extend commission term.

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• Jan 2024 – Sabourin proposes amendment to add Rudolf-affiliated member.

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• Apr 14 2024 (Holocaust Remembrance Day) – Sabourin posts photo of amendment with caption “ahead of our time.”

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• 2024-2026 – NPR investigation and public reporting.

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Surveys from Yale University and the Manhattan Institute indicate heightened antisemitic sentiment among young conservatives. Rudolf’s record includes a 2020 conviction for open lewdness and indecent exposure, a 2022 guilty plea for trespassing and disorderly conduct, and a subsequent probation sentence, all of which could affect his U.S. immigration status.

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The amendment, though defeated, illustrates how Holocaust denial can be introduced into formal education policy through legislative channels. It also reflects broader concerns that antisemitic rhetoric is gaining traction within mainstream conservative circles, potentially shaping public discourse and school curricula.

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• Deborah Lipstadt, Holocaust-denial expert, called the episode “extremely concerning.”

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• Gov. Kelly Ayotte (R) declared that “there is no place for antisemitism or hate of any kind in New Hampshire.”

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• Americans for Prosperity (NH chapter) affirmed opposition to antisemitism and noted no current endorsement of Sabourin.

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• Brian Cole announced he rescinded Sabourin’s endorsement and “unequivocally reject[s] Holocaust denial and any form of antisemitism.”

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Rep. Loren Selig described herself as “shocked” and “barely able to speak” after hearing the amendment. Senate Republican Ted Cruz warned of a surge in right-wing antisemitism, and former deputy FBI director Dan Bongino labeled the phenomenon a “cancer” on the MAGA movement.

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State officials have not imposed formal disciplinary action on Sabourin, while he maintains “my position is not hatred.” No legislative record details any investigation into his conduct, leaving accountability unclear.

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• “It's extremely concerning,” — Deborah Lipstadt, Holocaust-denial expert, Emory University

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• “Shocked would be an understatement,” — Loren Selig, Democratic State Representative

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• “I could barely speak.” — Loren Selig, Democratic State Representative

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• “In light of this information, we have rescinded the endorsement. I unequivocally reject Holocaust denial and any form of antisemitism.” — Brian Cole, Republican congressional candidate

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• “I have seen more antisemitism in the last 18 months on the right than at any point in my lifetime,” — Ted Cruz, U.S. Senator, Texas

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State legislators are expected to revisit commission-related bills, and civil-rights groups have signaled intent to monitor future attempts to alter Holocaust-education standards.

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