“Beyond Appalling”: Colorado Congressional Campaign Fires Staffer Over Antisemitic and Violent Posts
Credit: Belen Ward
A Colorado Republican congressional campaign’s political director has been fired after a series of extreme and controversial social media posts came to light. Gabe Evans, a candidate for Colorado’s 8th Congressional District, dismissed Jessica Spindle following the discovery of posts endorsing antisemitic ideology, the QAnon conspiracy theory, and advocating violence against government officials.
According to a report from Colorado Politics by Ernest Luning, the posts surfaced in the Colorado Times Recorder, which revealed Spindle’s troubling online activity while working on Evans’ campaign. One of the most offensive posts occurred on June 14, when Spindle shared an image of the infamous “Freedom for Humanity” mural.
The mural, which portrays antisemitic stereotypes of Jewish bankers playing Monopoly on the backs of naked figures, was shared from a conspiracy account with the alt-right “Okay” hand symbol, widely recognized as a white power gesture by the Anti-Defamation League, told the Guardian.
Spindle’s online activity wasn’t limited to antisemitism. She also endorsed the QAnon conspiracy theory, which falsely claims that former President Donald Trump is fighting a secret cabal of Satanic pedophiles. In 2020, Spindle posted a graphic that read, “ME TRYING TO CONVINCE MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY THAT THE WORLD IS RUN BY SATANIC, PEDOPHILE NUTJOBS AND WE ALL NEED TO JOIN THE GREAT AWAKENING TO SAVE HUMANITY,” alongside a call to dive deeper into the QAnon and Pizzagate conspiracies.
Adding to the controversy, Spindle posted violent rhetoric targeting former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). In one post from 2020, Spindle shared a false claim about Pelosi and Social Security recipients, writing, “Someone please shoot her! … I ever meet her I will spit on this b—-.” Her posts following the 2020 election also pushed baseless claims of a stolen election and included references to the “Three Percenters,” a far-right militia group.
Stephanie Clarke, founder of Stop Antisemitism Colorado, condemned Spindle’s actions, calling the use of antisemitic imagery “outrageously inflammatory, offensive, and dangerous.” Clarke pointed out the deep historical harm such stereotypes perpetuate, fueling hatred and violence against Jewish people.
Evans, who is running for the newly established 8th Congressional District, is competing in a closely watched race in northern Denver suburbs currently represented by Democratic Rep. Yadira Caraveo.
