Virginia Republicans force local leader off committee over anti-Semitic post

Virginia Republicans in the state party voted Monday to force Fredy Burgos off the State Central Committee just weeks after a controversial Facebook post drew accusations of anti-Semitism.

A state party spokesman confirmed to The Washington Post that members of the committee voted Burgos off on Monday.

Burgos prompted major backlash in February after posting a comment on Facebook suggesting that only Christians are fit to run for public office.

{mosads}Quoting founding father John Jay, Burgos wrote it is the privilege of a Christian nation “to select and prefer Christian leaders.”

At the time, he was campaigning for Tim Hannigan, who was running to be chairman of the Fairfax County Republican Party. Hannigan’s opponent, Mike Ginsberg, is Jewish. 

Many members of the party, including Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-Va.), pushed for Burgos to be removed. Comstock said at the time that his “bigoted, backwards views have no place in the Republican Party — the party of Lincoln and Reagan.”

Burgos said his comments had been taken out of context, according to the Post.

Burgos has been a controversial GOP figure in the past because of his attacks on Muslims and immigrants, according to the Post.