did g-o-p chairman john hancock say late auditor tom schweich was jewish?

A prominent Republican donor stepped forward Thursday to back up assertions that Missouri’s GOP chairman had made negative remarks about the religion of the state auditor, who killed himself amid perceptions he was the target of an anti-Semitic whispering campaign.

Republican businessman and donor David Humphreys released a signed affidavit saying Republican consultant John Hancock, who later was elected head of the party, told him on Nov. 24 that Auditor Tom Schweich was Jewish.

“The meaning I took from Mr. Hancock’s statement and tone of his comments was clear: He (Tom Schweich) is Jewish — in case you didn’t know — and that being Jewish is a negative attribute for Tom Schweich’s gubernatorial race,” Humphreys said in the affidavit.

Humphreys is the first person to publicly attest to hearing such comments from Hancock.

Hancock said Thursday that he had met with Humpheys at the businessman’s Joplin office to discuss fundraising efforts, but he denied saying anything about Schweich’s religion.

“It didn’t happen,” Hancock said.