Republican NJ mayor who shared Parkland conspiracy theory voted out of office
A New Jersey mayor who boosted a debunked conspiracy theory about the school shooting in Parkland, Fla. has lost his reelection bid, after previously rebuffing calls to resign.
Wayne Levante, the mayor of Newton, N.J., finished fourth in a seven-candidate race for three town council seats on Tuesday, New Jersey Advance Media reported.
Levante, a Republican, came under fire in February after he shared a conspiracy theory on Facebook claiming that 17-year-old David Hogg, a student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, was really a "crisis actor."
A number of conspiracy theories emerged after the Feb. 14 shooting that left 17 people dead at the Parkland, Fla., high school.
Levante defended his sharing of the theory, saying at the time that "people have a right to look at this stuff and form an opinion," according to New Jersey Advance Media.
The Newton Town Council voted in March to censure Levante, and requested his resignation. But Levante rejected those calls, and said that he would let the voters decide his fate.
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