Pat McGehan, the majority leader of West Virginia House, seen on April 10, 2025 on the House Floor, made an explanation on Friday, June 27, 2025 and said that he had “final evidence” that del. Ian T. Masters, R-Berkeley, has recently used an Instagram account that was responsible for an anti-Semitic comment. (Perry Bennett | West Virginia Legislative Photography)
Pat McGehan, majority leader of West Virginia House, gave up an explanation on Friday An anti -Semitic comment Last week.
McGehan did not respond to a request instructed by e -mail to present this evidence and could not be reached by phone on Friday.
In his explanation, McHehan said that Masters had provided him with a screenshot of the report that showed “irregular activities”. This screenshot was not included in the publication and he did not explain exactly what it showed.
McGehan also claimed that the person who made the comment from the profile @noquartermasters-the full names of Masters, a link to an organization that he ran for about 10 years, and a profile picture with a letter directed to “Ian” was surrounded by symbols that were surrounded by neo-Nazi and white upper emacist ideals.
According to McGehan, the person responsible was “someone without a current relationship to [Masters] And his district or someone else in the WV Republican Party. “He offered no further details.
In his comments on Friday, McGehan called the chairman of the Democratic Party Mike Puschkin and DEL. Evan Hansen, D-Monongalia-The only two Jewish members of the state legislator with the name and said that they are “not interested in the truth” who really left the anti-Semitic comment.
“They make these misleading accusations because they wish at the expense of other power and social status,” wrote McGehan.
At the beginning of this week, Puschkin asked governor Patrick Morrisey to show “moral leadership” and to ask for Masters’s resignation, unless there could be evidence that he finally shows that he did not give the comment. The State Democratic Party also asked the spokesman for the spokesman Roger Hanshaw in a letter to “take quick measures against Masters” and to completely investigate the incident.
On Friday, Pushkin published another explanation in which McGehan did not publish the evidence.
“If the responsible party” identified “, why was no name published and no explanation for how this decision was made?” Asked Puschkin. “Until this happens – and unless this evidence is clearly and publicly presented – McGehan’s statements are little more than a dog whistle that is supposed to distract serious concerns about anti -Semitism and white dominance by a member of the House of Delegates.”
The Instagram account @noquartermaster has the anti -Semitic commentary on A Month ancient Instagram post Via the Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy on June 21. The comment said. “[Portnoy is] not white. He is a Jew. We never claimed them. That’s why it is short and weak. “
West Virginia Watch reported the comment and the connections between Masters and the profile that left him on Tuesday. In an interview on that day, Masters said that he had no “active Instagram account” and was not responsible for the comment.
House speaker Roger Hanshaw told Metronew’s Talline On Wednesday, Masters told him that he was “connected to the @noquartermasters’ account”, but was no longer and denied the connection to the anti -Semitic comment.
“He was surprised to see it,” said Hanshaw. “When [Masters] And I spoke earlier [Wednesday]He stated that he couldn’t actually register in the account when he tried this, since the password had apparently been changed and he had to look for technical aid to even reset a password. “
The last two digits of the telephone number used to restore password recovery in the account were the same as the Masters personal cell phone on Tuesday.
During his interview with West Virginia Watch, Masters recognized no familiarity with the grip of the account or a previous belonging to him.
In 2023, several Instagram positions of the West Virginia Citizens Defense League showed – in the Masters from 2015 to 2025. And @noquartermasters, which are marked with the same names of other officers for the organization.
Several photos on his wife’s public Instagram from 2021-23 show photos of Masters who were communicated as @noquartermasters.
Before he spoke to West Virginia Watch on Tuesday, the name on the account – separately from the handle – was read “Ian T. Masters”, and a link to the website of the Citizens Defense League was recorded in the biography. After the interview, but before the story was released that day, the name of the account changed in “I. Masters” and the link was removed. On Tuesday evening, the name was changed back to “Ian T. Masters”.
On Tuesday morning it was shown that the private profile of @noquartermasters has 1,498 posts and 367 followers. On Tuesday at 11:30 p.m., the number of contributions to 1,368 had dropped – which means that more than 100 posts were deleted – and the number of trailers to 276. From Friday afternoon, the account showed only 39 followers.
On Wednesday, the State Democratic Party Hanshaw asked to carry out a “legitimate investigation” in the comment and the links of the Masters to the account – including the profile picture, which shows a letter to “Ian” in Chester, West Virginia. Per report by West Virginia Public BroadcastingMasters’ LinkedIn Says he worked in Chester from 2016-19.
The letter is partly covered by runes that are burned into wooden trailers hanging on strings. 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.
“Remember that Delegate Masters’s Instagram account not only published an anti-Semitic explanation. It also has the white supremacists, neo-Nazi and anti-Semitic symbols,” said Hansen on Friday in a statement. “Legislative leadership should condemn these measures. And you should carry out a complete examination with knowledge that has been published to the public instead of trying to do this in a partisan problem.”
At the beginning of this week, Puschkin explained specific steps that the State Democrats say that Hanshaw was supposed to extinguish the name of the masters, including: implementation of a “complete forensic investigation” of devices from Masters, social media accounts and e -mails; I am looking for an explanation of the profile picture of the account and the symbols contained therein as well as how the name and biography in the account were changed after his interview with West Virginia Watch.
“[G]The severity of what is claimed cannot mean an investigation to ask the delegate: “Did you do it?” and take ‘no’ for an answer. We have to come to the truth, “said Puschkin.
On Friday, McGehan called Puschkin as a “professional victim”, which tried to “manipulate” the situation as a state democrat, which are currently in legal disputes over the home seat of Masters.
Masters was appointed house by governor Patrick Morrisey after the chosen delegate Joseph de Soto was accused To harm and kill legislators. Morrisey’s spokesman still have to answer the allegations against masters on inquiries about comments.
De Soto won the elections in November 2024 as a Republican, but changed just before he was arrested because he was expanded terrorist threats.
House republicans in January agreed for the rooms of the seat Instead of clearing up de Soto, it said it was the right way to deal with the seat, since de Soto was at house arrest and was never sworn in. The failure led to a legal challenge of the state democratic party, which argued that the seat of the seat should have going to Democrats Because of de Sotos Party Switch.
The Supreme Court of Appeal of West Virginia ruled against State Democrats in one of their challenges towards the seat, but there are still other challenges.
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