American Dental Association Bares Teeth, Extracts Funding for Paul Gosar

Turns out the American Dental Association might have teeth after all. They’ve finally cut their longtime pal, onetime “Dentist of the year” Congressman Paul Gosar off financially, VICE News has learned. 

The move comes less than one week after we reported that the issue of the American Dental Association’s ongoing support for the Arizona Republican was dividing the ranks of the so-called “Tooth Party.” 

Since Gosar was elected to Congress in 2010, he’s courted controversy wherever he could find it, from joining the anti-government extremists at the Bundy ranch in Nevada in 2014, to boycotting the pope’s visit after he acknowledged climate change, to rallying support for a jailed Islamophobe in the UK. 

Until recently, many in the American Dental Association were willing to overlook Gosar’s antics if it meant having friends in high places who could legislate on their behalf. But that approach started to decay in recent months, when Gosar became heavily involved in the conspiracy-driven “Stop the Steal” movement, which led to the violent Capitol insurrection. Then, to make matters worse, Gosar started hanging around with Nick Fuentes, a 22-year-old white nationalist livestreamer who leads an army of racists who call themselves “Groypers.” 

Gosar spoke at a conference hosted by Fuentes earlier this year. Last month, Fuentes published a flier touting Gosar as a special guest at a fundraiser—part of Fuentes’ “White Boy Summer” tour. Gosar initially appeared to defend the event but later claimed to have no knowledge of it. 

The American Dental Association has donated over $75,000 to Gosar over the years, making them his biggest donor. 

A coalition of activists and Gosar’s siblings (who famously hate him) took aim at the American Dental Association’s financial support of Gosar earlier this year through the #CallYourDentist campaign. 

Over the weekend, the American Dental Association released an ominous statement titled “Participation in Political Process Should Reflect Its Values, Ideals and Priorities.” It appeared to hint at their decision regarding Gosar without actually calling him out by name. 

“The [American Dental Association believes participation in the political process should reflect its values, ideals and priorities,”  they wrote. “The [American Dental Association] will support those individuals who advance our mission and are in alignment with those ideals, views and priorities. “

A representative from the American Dental Association confirmed to VICE News Monday afternoon that the Board of Trustees had decided to suspend contributions to Gosar.

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