FRANKLIN, Tenn. (WTVF) — A photo posted Tuesday on the Telegram social media app shows controversial Franklin mayoral candidate Gabrielle Hanson posing with a self-proclaimed neo-Nazi in conjunction with a recorded interview about the controversy.
Hanson, who has refused to dissociate herself from the white supremacists who recently showed up at a candidates forum in support of her campaign, is shown sitting next to Sean Kauffmann, head of the Tennessee Active Club.
In the photo, Kauffman is wearing a "Reject Poison, Embrace Struggle" T-shirt commonly associated with another white supremacist group, the Patriot Front.
After that image was posted on Telegram, right-wing podcaster Patriot Punk Network chimed in: "Guess who got to film it? Don't miss it!"
Then, when the video was finally posted late Wednesday, the interview was conducted by Hanson supporter Valerie Baldes, giving Kauffmann a chance to expound upon his world view, claiming he's only battling "Antifa."
A caption posted with the video says:
"Ms. Hanson invited Sean Kuaffmann (sic) to speak about his organizations views in an unbiased setting, no doubt Dishonest and Profiteering Reporters and Journalists will use this as Leverage against Tennessee Active Club and Gabrielle Hanson for simply Interacting with one another in a Neutral and Professional setting."
The same Telegram channel that posted the video also published a document that attempts to smear some of Hanson's perceived critics.
As NewsChannel 5 Investigates first reported, Kauffman was one of about a dozen white supremacists who showed up at the candidates' forum two weeks ago, saying they were there to show support for Hanson and to make sure that nothing happened.
Facing a string of rebukes last week from her colleagues on the Franklin Board of Mayor and Aldermen, Hanson defended their presence, claiming they were on alert for possible misbehavior by "Antifa."
"I'm not going to denounce anybody their right to be whatever it is they want to be — whether I agree with what they do in their personal life or not," she added.
Kauffmann has been described by the Stop Antisemitism watchdog group as "a disturbed neo-Nazi and Holocaust denier with a documented history of violence and a massive cache of firearms."
Hanson has not responded to any of NewsChannel 5's questions about her relationship with the white supremacists.
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