Holocaust Denier Kicked Off Illinois GOP Primary Ballot Likes Trump - Except for One Little Thing

Art Jones

Holocaust-denying, perennial GOP candidate Arthur Jones wanted to contend against Democrat Dan Lipinski in the Third Congressional District, but the one-time Illinois Nazi has been kicked off the upcoming Republican primary ballot.

Jones, who drew a lot of attention in his 2012 bid for Congress when he called the Holocaust “an international extortion racket by Jews” and “the blackest lie in history” was officially removed by the Illinois State Board of Elections on Jan. 20. The board, citing “flagrant disregard of the election code,” claimed Jones had no valid signatures on his nominating petitions.

Jones’ removal, orchestrated by the Illinois GOP, means there will be no Republican candidate running in the March 15 primary, although Illinois Republicans could appoint someone to run against Lipinski at a later date. Lipinski is running uncontested in the Democratic primary.

“I had a clear shot at Lipinski.”

And this election, Jones actually has a presidential candidate he really likes. Well, mostly likes. Except for this one thing.

Jones, who also has organized family-friendly Adolf Hitler birthday parties, said he would more than likely vote for Donald Trump if he wins the Republican presidential nomination. Jones admits to being concerned, however, about Trump’s daughter’s conversion to Judaism after marrying a man of the Jewish faith, as well as Trump’s business affiliations with Jews.

“I agree with a lot of what Mr. Trump has to say,” Jones said. “He’s his own man. I like the fact that doesn’t have to go hat in hand to Jewish billionaires to get money.”

Distaste for Primaries

Jones originally set out to run for the U.S. Senate Republican nomination against Mark Kirk, collecting 240 signatures from parishioners at Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Naperville as a pro-life candidate.

Jones says he spent $1,000 on car magnets for the GOP senate primary, but when James Marter joined the fray, he decided to step aside.

“I didn’t want to do another damn primary race,” Jones said.

Seeing that Lipinski was running unopposed in the Democratic primary, Jones switched gears and went for the familiar Illinois congressional seat -- a Republican primary in which he has run and lost four times in the past. He’s also run for Chicago mayor.

After turning in his nominating petitions on Dec. 7 with 108 more signatures than the required 548 to get his name on the ballot, Jones learned that someone had filed 401 objections against his petitions.

“He filed so many objections,” Jones said. “He said I had people who lived outside the district, unregistered voters, forged signatures, all dirty rotten lies.”

Chicago election attorney John Fogarty Jr., general counsel for the Illinois Republican Party, acknowledged being hired to help the objectors put together their legal challenge.

“They wanted to repudiate Mr. Jones’ views,” Fogarty said. “Those views don’t belong in the [Republican] party.”

‘Photocopied Signatures’

After considerable back and forth with the Illinois State Elections Board, Jones was kicked off the ballot for “flagrant disregard of the election code.”

“He turned in photocopied signatures,” Fogarty said. “His story came out in the hearing that he was running for the U.S. Senate and ended up altering his petitions for the Illinois Congressional seat. It was more gross negligence than anything else and beyond what a reasonable person would do.”

On his website, Art Jones for Congressman, Jones says he is not a follower of any political party but is a registered Republican. Although no longer affiliated, Jones says he agrees philosophically with the National Socialist Party.

“I got the queers, Jews and the Republican National Committee on me,” Jones said. “They gave a free ride to Lipinski. That’s the sham of this two-party system.”