Founder of Utah tech company resigns after claiming COVID-19 vaccine is a plot by “the Jews” to exterminate people
The founder of a technology company based in Utah has resigned after reportedly sending an e-mail describing the COVID-19 vaccine as part of a plot by “the Jews” to exterminate people.
David Bateman, who previously served as CEO and until this week as chairman of Entrata, a property management software company, reportedly wrote in an e-mail: “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. I believe 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. I know, it sounds bonkers. No one is reporting on it, but the Hasidic Jews in the US instituted a law for their people that they are not to be vaccinated for any reason. I pray that I’m wrong on this. Utah has got to stop the vaccination drive. Warn your employees. Warn your friends. Prepare. Stay safe.”
Mr Bateman, who was also a one-time prominent figure in state politics, was asked by the board to step down as chairman of the company that he founded.
In a comment to a radio station sent by text message, Mr Bateman apparently echoed the assertions made in his e-mail, writing: “Yes. I sent it. I have nothing but love for the Jewish people. Some of my 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).” He added: “And I fear billions of people around the globe right now are being exterminated.”
He insisted that the e-mail reflected his personal opinion and was intended for a few friends only, even though the recipients included high-profile individuals in the state.
Entrata’s CEO, Adam Edmunds, tweeted: “Entrata’s board of directors today asked Dave Bateman to resign from the company’s board of directors, including his position as chairman. Dave agreed and is no longer a member of the Entrata board, effective immediately.”
He also said that Mr Bateman’s opinions are “his alone and do not reflect the views or values of Entrata,” adding: “To be absolutely clear, we at Entrata firmly condemn antisemitism in any and all forms.”
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “No self-respecting company can tolerate a chairman who believes that the pandemic is a global plot orchestrated by ‘the Jews’ to exterminate billions of people and enslave the world. If reports about David Bateman’s comments and lack of remorse are accurate, Entrata is right to remove him from its board. It is rarely easy to sever ties with a founder, but sometimes it is.”
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