Florida Gov. Charlie Crist said a mistake by his staff is to blame for a letter that went out with his signature, praising an anti-Semitic movie.

Crist's office sent a thank you note to John Ubele of Pasco County for mailing the governor a copy of the film “Jud Suss.” The movie was made by the Nazi's in the 1940s and is considered one of history's most incendiary films.

The brief thank-you note (see full note at bottom) was dated June 30 and bore the governor's automated signature. It praised Ubele's thoughtfulness and generosity and said Crist would be delighted to share the DVD with the people of Florida. Ubele is with the Nationalist Coalition, a group that claims to promote “white activism.”

FL Governor Blames Staff For Letter Praising Nazi Film

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist said a mistake by his staff is to blame for a letter that went out with his signature, praising an anti-Semitic movie.

Crist’s office sent a thank you note to John Ubele of Pasco County for mailing the governor a copy of the film “Jud Suss.” The movie was made by the Nazi’s in the 1940s and is considered one of history’s most incendiary films.

The brief thank-you note (see full note at bottom) was dated June 30 and bore the governor’s automated signature. It praised Ubele’s thoughtfulness and generosity and said Crist would be delighted to share the DVD with the people of Florida. Ubele is with the Nationalist Coalition, a group that claims to promote “white activism.”

When he got the note from Crist, Ubele posted it online. Once the governor’s office learned of the mistake, it sent Ubele a second note
calling the thank you an “unexcusable mistake by staff.”

The letter went on to say Crist does not condone or support the film’s anti-Semitic content.

Rabbi Schneor Z. Oirechman, Chabad Shliach of Florida’s Capitol Talahasee and close confidant of Gov Christ was quoted as saying: “I have personally contacted the executive office of the governor and have been assured that the letter was sent by a staff member by mistake, before having looked at the DVD.

The office is very sorry about the mistake. The governor has no sympathy with the people who sent this DVD and their dark purposes. Governor Crist has been a strong supporter of the Jewish community in Florida, Israel, and elsewhere and is also an admirer of the Jewish religion. His level of support and action in favor of Jewish causes is outstanding.”

WESH-TV-2 contacted Rabbi Yoseph Y. Konikov, Chabad Shliach of South Orlando as a representative of Florida Jewry for the community’s reaction to this mishap – see clip

2 Comments

  • Milhouse

    What’s the big deal? This was a form letter that goes out to anyone who sends anything in. Someone in the office saw someone had sent in a DVD as a gift, so they sent a routine thank-you note. How should they know what was on the DVD? And what has the governor got to do with it? Is he supposed to read all the mail that comes in, watch every DVD or whatever anyone sends, and personally decide who gets a thank-you note? Why is anybody spending two minutes on it?