Jason Kenney must remove his candidate Philip Schuman from an upcoming party nomination, after Schuman has been caught trying to fund the audience of social media posts that spread anti-Semitism, Nazi propaganda and Hitler memes.
Schuman denied any knowledge of the account’s content - but in a leaked message, Schuman bragged about using the account's images on his campaign for the UCP candidacy in Calgary-Glenmore. Members of the University of Calgary campus Conservative club created much of the content, according to Schuman.
Schuman is a UCP insider, having worked as campaign manager for UCP MLA Richard Gotfried and for Calgary city councilor Jeromy Farkas. Schuman also served as media coordinator for Derek Fildebrandt’s “United Liberty” Political Action Committee in 2017. Having served as Gotfried’s constituency president, Gotfried endorsed Schuman’s candidacy and still supports him even after news of the scandal broke.The UCP has allowed a string of extreme candidates to run for their party. Previous candidates successfully approved by the UCP have made racist, homophobic and Islamophobic comments. Only last week, Richard Gotfried won a nomination over Cindy Ross, after she compared Alberta Muslims to criminals.
Kenney has only one option with Philip Schuman's candidacy: immediately remove him from the nomination race.