ATLANTA — A former staffer for Rep. Mike Collins, the Republican candidate challenging Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in Georgia, is facing scrutiny after posting images featuring Nazi and Ku Klux Klan imagery, adding another controversy involving people connected to Collins as he campaigns for the U.S. Senate.
The former staffer, Preston Parra, shared images on his X account in June and July that included a swastika and a picture appearing to show him wearing Ku Klux Klan robes, according to an investigation by The Washington Post. The posts have intensified concerns among some Georgia Republicans about the people surrounding Collins and the political environment associated with his campaign.
Parra, who is 24, briefly interned for Collins in 2024 and later worked as a contractor for the congressman's political action committee in 2025. Federal campaign finance records show that Collins' PAC paid Parra about $7,700 before Collins launched his Senate campaign, according to reporting on the controversy.
The revelations arrive at a politically sensitive time for Collins, who is seeking the Republican nomination while preparing for a potential general-election contest against Ossoff. The race is expected to be closely watched nationally because control of the Senate could be at stake.
Posts raise new questions about Collins' circle
The former staffer's social media activity has prompted questions about how Collins vets employees, contractors and political associates.
Some Republicans in Georgia told The Washington Post that the latest episode contributes to a pattern of controversies involving people connected to Collins. The concerns are particularly significant because Collins has already faced questions about other associates accused of promoting racist or white-nationalist views.
The controversy involving Parra also follows scrutiny of Collins' family connections. His son-in-law has previously faced attention over white-nationalist social media activity, prompting questions from reporters about Collins' relationships with people expressing extremist views.
The accumulation of incidents has created an uncomfortable political problem for Collins as he attempts to present himself to Georgia voters as a mainstream Republican candidate capable of winning statewide.
Ossoff seizes on controversy
Ossoff has used the latest revelations to criticize his Republican opponent and connect Collins to what he described as an increasingly troubling network of individuals.
The Democratic senator argued that the former staffer's posts represented another connection between Collins and extremist ideology. His campaign is expected to use the issue as part of a broader effort to define Collins before the general election.
For Democrats, the controversy offers an opportunity to portray Collins as tolerant of political extremism, while Republicans face pressure to distance the party and the candidate from racist and antisemitic imagery.
Collins faces pressure for answers
Collins has been questioned about the former staffer's posts as well as other controversies involving people in his orbit.
The congressman's response could have significant political consequences. Republican leaders in Georgia are increasingly conscious of how associations with extremist figures could affect the party's appeal to independent and suburban voters.
Some Republicans have already expressed concern that repeated controversies could become a distraction in a race where Collins needs to broaden his support beyond the party's core base.
At the same time, supporters of Collins argue that offensive social media posts made by former employees or associates should not automatically be attributed to the candidate himself.
A larger Republican debate
The dispute comes amid broader national arguments within the Republican Party over racism, antisemitism and extremist political movements.
Several incidents involving Republican activists and officials have generated similar debates in recent years, with party leaders repeatedly facing pressure to condemn extremist rhetoric while avoiding accusations that they are responsible for the private conduct of individual supporters.
For Collins, however, the political challenge is more immediate. His Senate campaign is now operating under increased scrutiny of his staff, political associates and personal connections.
The former staffer's posts do not by themselves establish that Collins endorsed or was aware of the imagery. But Republicans who spoke to The Washington Post say the repeated controversies surrounding people connected to him are becoming difficult to dismiss as isolated incidents.
As Georgia's Senate contest takes shape, the controversy could become an early test of Collins' ability to respond to questions about extremism while keeping his campaign focused on the issues that matter most to voters.
For Ossoff, the episode provides another opening to argue that the choice before Georgia voters is not simply between two candidates but between competing visions of what political leadership should represent.