After JNS reported that anti-Israel political activist David Hogg, former vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, was removed as keynote speaker of an upcoming Gwinnett County Democratic Party gala in Georgia, the party announced on Thursday that the “report is inaccurate.”
“David Hogg remains a guest speaker for Bluetopia 2026 and is scheduled to speak at the gala,” the chapter stated on Facebook.
It shared an updated flier that replaced Hogg’s photo with a photo of gubernatorial candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms, a former mayor of Atlanta. “We represent one of the most diverse counties in our state, and we believe that diversity of experiences, perspectives and viewpoints strengthens our organization and our democratic process,” it states.
“Except in extraordinary circumstances, GCDP does not make decisions about inviting or disinviting speakers based solely on their public statements or differing viewpoints,” the group added. “Our goal is to provide an open forum where our members and the public can engage with leaders and public figures representing a range of perspectives within the Democratic Party.”
The party’s statements appeared to contradict the implications of an email that Curt Thompson, its chair, wrote to Esther Panitch, the only Jewish member of the Georgia state legislature, on Tuesday. JNS viewed that email.
The party chair was responding to a question from the state representative about whether the gala could be moved from its scheduled date on Rosh Hashanah, so that Jews could attend.
“While we cannot move the event, we are still fully committed to inclusivity,” the party chair wrote. “As part of that process, we are adjusting our speaker lineup and replacing David Hogg as our principal speaker.”
“While we recognize his voice and work engaging younger voters are valued by many, his recent remarks do not align with the spirit of a fundraiser intended to unite our broad coalition of candidates, communities and ultimately voters across Gwinnett,” Thompson wrote to Panitch. “We are pleased that our gubernatorial nominee and former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance-Bottoms will deliver our keynote address.”
Panitch did not ask Thompson to replace or remove Hogg. Her email to Thompson, which JNS also saw, focused only on rescheduling the Sept. 12 date.
“My letter did not mention any speaker,” Panitch wrote on Facebook. “I asked about the date.”
The party also stated on Thursday that members of the press should contact it “for confirmation or clarification regarding our events and programming.”
JNS sought comment from the party on Wednesday, before publishing the first piece, and on Thursday.
