Adolph Hitler’s image remains widely recognized 77 years after his suicide. It still evokes strong emotions recalling the cruelty of the dictator and the Nazis’ evil ambitions.
So it is surprising to see a photo of Hitler in a picture frame being offered for sale on an online auction site offering local government surplus. It was posted on a site advertising the Otay Water District’s “Surplus & Industrial Tools and Equipment.”
The Hitler photograph was on page eight of the site run by Cal Auctions on behalf of the water district. It appeared on the website for a number of days judging from the social media comments about the photo.
Shown next to the Hitler image was a framed, autographed photo of the late comedian Danny Thomas, a sharp contrast to Hitler. Thomas was responsible for founding St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, a longtime leader in childhood leukemia research.
How did Hitler’s photograph end up alongside office chairs, plumbing supplies and machine tools for auction?
Tenille Otero, who is designated to speak for the water district, said the agency had seen the auction photo described on Facebook postings, and “we were concerned about this,” emphasizing that it never owned the Hitler photo.
The way the auction page appeared online, one might assume all items for sale were from the water district. However, they are not, she said.
“We were only offering the first five items on the auction website,” which are four F-150 pickup trucks and work tools. All the other items were included under the same Otay Water District banner but had nothing to do with the district. She said the agency will be reviewing how it conducts auctions in the future.
Jason Hanks, president of Cal Auctions, whose website posted the Otay Water district items for sale, was candid when talking about the erroneous posting. He thanked the Times of San Diego for calling attention to the posting, saying Otay Water had no responsibility for what happened.
He is still investigating how the photo and numerous other items were lumped together on the auction site. He said he suspects a “disgruntled employee” may be responsible for posting the item.
The Hitler and Danny Thomas photographs were removed late Tuesday afternoon from the website.
San Diego journalist Brooke Binkowski said the use of the photograph “is a chilling reminder that San Diego remains an active hub for the global far right.” She is a veteran reporter active in tracking and reporting on hate groups, including neo-Nazis both locally and nationally. She’s hoping for a thorough investigation.
“We’ve dealt with racism and antisemitism directed at our communities for far too long,” she said. “It’s time for some accountability.”
JW August is a San Diego-based broadcast and digital journalist.
