Federal MP and NDP leadership candidate Niki Ashton was on the defensive Tuesday night after an endorsement she received by an alleged Holocaust denier came to light.

“It has come to my attention that our campaign was shown support by a member of the public on Facebook known to hold anti-Semitic views and has made public comments denying the atrocities of the Holocaust,” Ashton’s message, posted to social media, began. “In no way do I support such views. I do not accept support from people who hold such views.”

The Manitoba MP went on to say some of her family died at the hands of Nazis.

On Aug. 15, Canadian-Palestinian newspaper publisher Nazih Khataba wrote that it was a “duty and responsibility” to join the NDP and vote for Ashton, according to a translation provided by Jewish advocacy group B’nai Brith Canada.

Khataba, according to a release by B’nai Brith, engaged in Holocaust denial in a January Arabic-language program on Rogers TV, a program which was promptly taken off the air by Rogers.

An Arabic-language newspaper published by Khataba has published articles calling the Holocaust the “Holohoax” and “the biggest lie in history”, according to the Canadian Jewish News.

“The year 2016 was the worst on record for anti-Semitic incidents in Canada, and this month’s events in Charlottesville, have shown that the threat against Jewish communities remains visceral and real,” Michael Mostyn, CEO of B’nai Brith, said in a release on the matter.

Khatatba did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Tuesday.