Schweich's chief of staff: Hancock admitted telling people that the candidate was Jewish

In what apparently was her first interview, Tom Schweich’s former chief of staff said Wednesday morning on KTRS Radio in St. Louis that John Hancock admitted to her that he had told other Republicans that Schweich was Jewish.

Chief of staff Trish Vincent said Hancock told her that in a December telephone call. But Hancock also said he had stopped.

“I was, but I’m not anymore,” is what Vincent said Hancock told her about mentioning Schweich’s faith.

Hancock, the new chairman of the Missouri Republican Party, is accused of being the central player in an alleged whispering campaign about Schweich’s faith.

In fact, Schweich was not Jewish, although his grandfather was.

At the time that Hancock made the remarks, he is thought to have been working for another gubernatorial candidate, Catherine Hanaway.

Hancock has acknowledged that he may have “mentioned Tom’s faith” in conversation, although he said there was “nothing malicious” about it.

In Wednesday’s interview, Vincent said Hancock called her in December to tell her he was running for Missouri GOP chair. In that conversation, Vincent said Hancock asked her to continue as the party’s vice chair.

Vincent said he told Hancock she couldn’t support him for chair because he had been telling people that Schweich was Jewish.

“Well, I was but I’m not anymore,” Vincent said Hancock told her.

Vincent did not say the context in which Hancock made the remarks about Schweich’s faith.

Those close to Hancock have said that he mentioned this as a way of saying Schweich would have trouble winning the GOP nomination because the party rarely nominates Jews.

In the interview, Vincent pointed out that Hancock had worked for Schweich in his first campaign for state auditor in 2010. She said she didn’t understand why Hancock wasn’t aware of Schweich’s true faith.

Last month, Vincent lost her bid to remain as party vice chair in a meeting in Kansas City.

KTRS planned to post the Vincent interview on its website.

This story was originally published March 11, 2015 at 10:33 AM with the headline "Schweich's chief of staff: Hancock admitted telling people that the candidate was Jewish."