Georgia's contentious U.S. Senate race erupted into a heated confrontation Tuesday night as Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., accused GOP challenger Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., of allowing the dissemination of "neo-Nazi propaganda" inside his own home, prompting Collins to fire back over Ossoff's financial support from a billionaire with ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The exchange unfolded during the candidates' second and final debate ahead of the Nov. 3 general election, which was hosted by the Atlanta Press Club and broadcast by Georgia Public Broadcasting network.
During the debate, Ossoff sought to tie his GOP opponent to White nationalism and repeatedly demanded that Collins commit to stopping the dissemination of hateful rhetoric involving his campaign staff, in particular Collins' son-in-law, which Ossoff alleged has continued despite blowback. Meanwhile, Collins accused his Democrat opponent of fueling threats against his family, refusing to return campaign support connected to LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman and questioned Ossoff over his support for candidates linked to controversial streamer Hasan Piker.
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"How weak a person do you have to be to be unable to stop someone under your own roof from disseminating neo-Nazi propaganda while you run for the Senate?" Ossoff asked, referencing reporting about his opponent's son-in-law, David Alan Scheer II, who was the subject of a CNN investigation about sharing Nazi propaganda imagery, promoting antisemitic conspiracy theories and polling his online followers about whether he should produce a video titled "Why Gen-Z Doesn't Hate Hitler."
"How about this, Mike? We can shake hands on it," Ossoff continued to press. "Will you commit tonight that for the remainder of this campaign, it's just three weeks, Mike, you won't allow any more neo-Nazi propaganda to be produced from your house? Can you make that commitment?"
Collins responded by accusing Ossoff of inflaming hostility toward his family, pointing to threats he said he and his son-in-law had received.
"I'm a little tired of this, Jon," Collins said. "There's a crazy person in jail right now because of your rhetoric," he alleged, before saying he had received another threat just the previous day.
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"You have not denounced, you've not condemned Reid Hoffman, one of your largest donors out there, one that's been supporting you with over $1 million," Collins shot back. "Why don't you denounce that? Why don't you return that money?"
Collins was referring to Reid Hoffman, the billionaire LinkedIn co-founder and major Democratic donor whose past relationship with Epstein has drawn scrutiny. Hoffman has acknowledged meeting with Epstein after the financier's 2008 conviction for sex offenses and visiting his private island. Hoffman also contributed $7,000 directly to Ossoff's campaign and $1 million to a political action committee supporting the Georgia Democrat, according to previously reported campaign finance records.
Earlier in the debate, Collins went further, accusing Hoffman of sending Epstein ice cream with a message referencing girls, while again pressing Ossoff to reject his financial support.
"Jon Ossoff, his number one donor, one of his largest donors, is Reid Hoffman, the same guy that's in the same files, the same guy that sent ice cream, ice cream to Jeffrey Epstein on his birthday and said, 'This is for the girls,'" Collins said during an earlier exchange in the debate.
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The Wall Street Journal previously reported that Hoffman sent Epstein ice cream in 2014 with a message indicating it was intended for him or "for the girls." Hoffman has apologized for his association with Epstein, which he said stemmed from fundraising activities involving the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and has not been accused of wrongdoing in connection with Epstein's crimes.
Ossoff rejected the Hoffman comparison, however, arguing that the allegations against Collins involved someone living in the congressman's home rather than a political donor.
"Mike, if any of these folks were based in my house, then I'd understand you to ask me to take responsibility for them," Ossoff said. "What I asked you, Mike, was, can you commit for just three weeks to stop the production of neo-Nazi propaganda from your home?"
Earlier in the debate, Collins was directly questioned about concerns from Black Georgians over allegations of White-nationalist ties involving members of his political operation.
"I condemn any sort of hate speech, antisemitism, hate of any kind. It's abhorrent," Collins responded, adding that he had fired staffers when controversies arose.
Collins also sought to turn the accusations back on Ossoff by criticizing his support for Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed and invoking left-wing streamer Hasan Piker, who Collins blasted for saying the U.S. deserved 9/11, and promoting anti-Semitism.
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"He hangs his hat on this Abdul El-Sayed, you know, the guy that hates Israel — best friends with Hasan Piker, who said that America deserves 9/11," Collins said Tuesday night.
Ossoff has previously condemned Piker's rhetoric, telling The Atlanta Journal-Constitution through a spokesperson that he "unreservedly rejects reckless and dangerous rhetoric" suggesting political advocacy justifies violence against Jewish Americans or any other community.