Canadian Politician Steps Down After It’s Revealed He Bought a Signed Copy of Mein Kampf

Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images

A Canadian politician stepped down from his post on Wednesday after it was discovered he purchased a signed copy of Adolf Hitler’s memoir.

Niagara Region Chair Bob Gale had come under scrutiny in recent days as a result of the allegation. It began when Saleh Waziruddin, a member of the Niagara Anti-Racism Association, received documents involving Gale’s alleged purchase of Mein Kampf. As noted in a report from The Standard, Gale responded to Waziruddin’s claim by asserting that he’s a member of a “communist party who circulated a dated document that listed my name as the owner of a historical book found in many libraries.”

According to the documents, Gale paid more than $6,000 for a copy of Mein Kampf signed by the former Nazi dictator himself.

The report continued:

Gale served as the regional chair for 84 days after Robert Flack, Ontario’s minister of municipal affairs and housing, appointed him to the position in December following the death of Jim Bradley.

Documents confirmed by Niagara historian Jon K. Jouppien show Gale purchased the signed edition of Hitler’s book at an auction in 2010.

Although the purchase has been confirmed as legitimate, both Gale and Jouppien maintained it was merely an addition to Gale’s collection of historical artifacts and not an endorsement of the Führer. In a report from CBC, Jouppien added:

“It’s not to be taken as an insult to any anti-racist group,” Jouppien told CBC News. “It was collected in the sincere interest of history.” Jouppien added that “not many people have the resources [Gale has]” to preserve rare items and that his collection is a contribution to history.

Jouppien also claimed that Gale’s historical collection was worth millions of dollars.

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!