ST. LOUIS, March 28 (UPI) -- A Missouri lawmaker says the National Guard should have moved more quickly to get rid of a staff sergeant who allegedly promoted neo-Nazi views.
Sgt. Nathan Wooten was dropped from the detail that serves as an honor guard at veterans' funerals. But state Sen. Bill Stouffer said the guard only acted when a story about Wooten ran in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Stouffer wants legislative hearings.
Colleagues said they complained almost a year ago that Wooten was trying to recruit people to the National Socialist Movement, the Post-Dispatch said. They also said he named a son after a prominent SS figure and displayed a picture of World War II-era Nazi Germany leader Adolf Hitler in his home.
The newspaper story ran March 19. The Post-Dispatch said it was told just before publication that the Guard had removed Wooten from the funeral detail and was concluding an investigation into his conduct.
Wooten is still a member of the Guard. His current enlistment expires in May and he could simply be turned down for re-enlistment.
His lawyer, Capt. Carrie Lamm-Clark, said he is not a member of the National Socialist Movement.
"I think that it's very sad that basically anyone has failed to verify the facts they've put forward in this situation, and that's unfortunate for Mr. Wooten," Lamm-Clark said. "Much of what's been stated about him is not true. He's entitled to his due process rights."
