Del. Pat McGehan, R-Hancock, speaks the delegate house during a floor session on Friday, February 2, 2024, in Charleston, W.VA. (Perry Bennett | West Virginia Legislative Photography).
Pat McGehan, majority leader of the house, announced further details on Wednesday In terms of evidence He says make an anti -Semitic comment on Instagram last month.
McHehan – in An interview for WRNR 10TV – Said that he personally examined the accusation against Masters and the person he said found the comment from an Instagram account that used the full name of the Masters and with the Citizens Defense League, in which Masters once acted as president. Wrrnr belongs to another member of the Republican Republican Caucus, DEL. Mike Hornby, R-Berkeley, according to the Foreign Minister West Virginia.
The comment The question was left on June 21st by an account with the Handle @noquartermasters in response to another comment On a contribution from April 12th About Dave Portnoy, founder of Barstool Sports.
In an interview on June 25th with West Virginia Watch, Masters denied that he had left the comment and said that he “had no active Instagram account”. The next day, House speaker Roger Hanshaw, R-Clay, told Metronew’s Talline This master told him that the @noquartermaster’s account used to be, but he no longer used it.
According to McGehan’s radio interview, Masters knew the person who allegedly left the comment through his deceased brother. When Masters visited his hometown in Hancock County “at some point last year”, said McGehan, he pushed onto the “younger guy” and wanted to lend a hand him.
“… [Masters] He gave him resources – gave him money, he gave him his venerable iPhone, which had no mobile phone service, but they could work with WLAN or whatever, ”said McGhan.
McHehan said that the social media accounts of Masters, including Instagram, were still by phone. The person opened them, said McGehan and used Masters’s report to leave the anti -Semitic comment.
“I don’t even think he knew that he was on [Masters’] Account, ”said McGenhan.
McGehan would not name the person he claims that she did not name the comment that he was “very sick”, “basically homeless” and lived after a recently expanded hospital stay, in which he woke up from an almost two -month coma, with a disturbance in the substance apply.
“Look, this is a guy who will probably die in the near future, either from the disease he has, or the overdose of the narcotics that he was prescribed to deal with it,” said McGhan. “… so I don’t get [him] involved.”
The West Virginia Watch left a Voicemail for McHehan on Tuesday afternoon. He replied by text: “Don’t contact me.”
When asked by WRNR moderator Bill Stubblefield, whether the law enforcement as the person who was supposed to leave the comment “chopped” and said goodbye to him online.
“Ha. No. This is over for me,” said McGenhan. “… there are a lot of things that would go to [an official investigation] And I won’t have any kind of witch hunt. I did Due Diligence. “
Shortly after the interview of Masters with West Virginia Watch last week the name in the account was changed From “Ian T. Masters” to “I. Masters”. According to Metronews, Masters Hanshaw said that he could not access the account and was not needed by Instagram from Instagram to technical support to change the password.
The Profile On the account @noquartermasters, a letter to “Ian” in Chester, West Virginia – where Masters grew up, McGan said on Wednesday.
The letter is partly covered by runes that are burned into wooden trailers hanging on strings.
McGehan said the letter in the profile picture came from Masters’ tardy brother, who died in 2014 by suicide.
The runes contain several symbols listed Anti-defamation LeagueAn advocacy organization that is used worldwide anti-Semitism as anti-Semitic symbols used by groups and individuals who apply white supremacists, neo-Nazi and anti-Semitic ideals.
Masters has not commented on this situation in public, but he is said to give an interview to WRNR on Thursday morning. He could not be reached by phone on Wednesday.
The State Democratic Party has asked spokesman Hanshaw to carry out a “complete forensic examination” of the devices, social media accounts and e -mails from Masters. Find a profile picture contained therein and the symbols contained therein as well as the way the name and biography in the account were changed after his interview with West Virginia Watch if it had no access to the account.
