GOP Backer Claims COVID-19 Vaccine Are Used By 'The Jews' To Exterminate People

The founder of a tech firm in Utah, who was also a donor to the state’s Republicans, stepped down from his company after he emailed an anti-Semitic vaccination conspiracy theory to several people, including business and political leaders.

David Bateman, the former chair of Silicon Slopes-based tech firm Entrata, attacked the efficiency of COVID-19 vaccines in his email and urged people not to get jabbed as he claimed the vaccines were part of a plot by "the Jews" to "euthanize the American people," Fox 13 first reported.

"I believe the Jews are behind this. For 300 years the Jews have been trying to infiltrate the Catholic Church and place a Jew covertly at the top. It happened in 2013 with Pope Francis," Bateman's email, with the subject line, “Genocide,” read.

Bateman alleged that "the pandemic and systematic extermination of billions of people will lead to an effort to consolidate all the countries in the world under a single flag with totalitarian rule," but he noted that his theory "sounds bonkers."

Additionally, he claimed that criticism of COVID-19 vaccines was being censored and that international charges were going to be filed against Dr. Anthony Fauci, who is the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and Chief Medical Advisor to the President.

According to the report, Bateman also alleged in the email that "no one is reporting on it," but the Hasidic Jews in the United States "instituted a law for their people that they are not to be vaccinated for any reason."

"I pray I'm wrong on this. Utah has got to stop the vaccination drive. Warn your employees. Warn your friends. Prepare. Stay safe," read the email, which Bateman sent to Utah Jazz owner and Qualtrics CEO Ryan Smith, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, Senate Minority Whip Luz Escamilla and Economic Development Corporation of Utah CEO Theresa Foxley.

The email was also reportedly sent to a number of other Silicon Slopes CEOs.

Bateman confirmed to Fox 13 that he wrote the email, but he noted that he had "nothing but love for the Jewish people" and that some of his "closest friends are Jews."

"My heart breaks for their 2500 years they’ve been mistreated by nearly every country on earth. But I do believe Scottish Rite Freemasons are behind the pandemic (overwhelmingly Jewish). And I fear billions of people around the globe right now are being exterminated," Bateman said.

Bateman retired as Entrata's CEO -- a company that was valued at more than $1 billion in July 2021 -- hours after he sent the conspiracy theory email, Forbes reported.

He later resigned from the company's board of directors and stepped down from his position as chairman after the group asked him to do so, according to Entrata's current CEO, Adam Edmonds.

"The opinions expressed by [Bateman] were his alone, and do not reflect the views or values of Entrata, the executive team, board of directors, or investors. To be absolutely clear, we at Entrata condemn antisemitism in any and all forms," Edmonds said in a statement.

Gov. Cox, for his part, claimed Bateman's comments were "irresponsible," "hurtfully anti-Semitic" and "blatantly false."

"I get insane emails like this from people often and normally wouldn’t dignify it with a response, but I guess it’s getting lots attention. I hope he gets some help," Cox shared on his private Twitter account.

Bateman was a prominent figure in Utah's state Republican politics and he financially bailed the party out several years ago when its legal debt mounted during a court fight over paths for candidates to get on the ballots, Associated Press reported.

While no longer active with Entrata, Bateman remains the company's largest shareholder barring a private sale.