Trump-backed Arizona candidate called COVID-19 vaccine 'crime against humanity': report
Arizona state Rep. Mark Finchem (R), who has been endorsed by former President Trump for Arizona secretary of state, called the COVID-19 vaccine a "crime against humanity" and shared other conspiracy theories related to the vaccine, according to a report by CNN's Kfile.
CNN linked to multiple posts from Finchem on Gab, a social media network popular with conservatives and the alt-right, where he shared anti-vaccine views. He said in July last year that he refused to get vaccinated because of the "potentially deadly gene therapy."
in one post shared on Gab in August 2021, Finchem, who began serving in Arizona's legislature in 2015, wrote: "It ain't a vaccine!!! Call it what it is, a crime against humanity."
His campaign did not immediately respond to The Hill's request for comment.
The Jan. 6 panel in the U.S. House subpoenaed Finchem on Tuesday over the efforts to falsely declare Trump the winner of the 2020 election.
The state lawmaker attended the Jan. 6 "Stop the Steal" rally and was in touch with organizers. He was also scheduled to speak at their event at the Capitol that day and organized an event in Arizona seeking to combat alleged fraud in the 2020 election.
In a statement endorsing Finchem shared by the former president's leadership PAC in September 2021, Trump specifically cited Finchem's backing of his election fraud claims and touted the state lawmaker as a supporter of his agenda.
Finchem has also backed lawsuits from the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee in Arizona alleging fraud following the 2020 presidential election.
Initially he had insisted that he never got within 500 yards of the Capitol building but footage taken during the Jan. 6 riot showed him at least 100 yards away from the steps of the Capitol.
Mark Finchem along with Shawnna Bolick, Beau Lane, and Michelle Ugenti-Rita are running in the Republican primary for Arizona Secretary of State on Aug. 2, 2022.
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