California official who trafficked in 9/11, anti-Semitic conspiracies returns to state job

California schools chief Tony Thurmond on Friday said he has reinstated a state education official linked to anti-Semitic conspiracy theories and claims that the 9/11 terrorist attack was an inside job.

A Sacramento Bee investigation in February revealed that Craig Heimbichner, who works in the Department of Education’s charter school oversight division, had trafficked in extreme conspiracy theories for more than a decade, including that the Holocaust memorials are part of a deep-state plot led by a cabal of secretive, murderous Freemasons.

Thurmond, on a call with reporters Friday, said a third-party investigation into Heimbichner’s writings found there was no basis for any disciplinary action. He was reinstated “immediately.”

“Obviously, if there was some evidence or circumstances otherwise, we’d be having a different conversation today,” said Thurmond, the Superintendent of Public Instruction. He declined to comment on the specifics of the investigation, which he described as a personnel matter.

Heimbichner — who previously did not return multiple requests for comment — also addressed reporters on the call. “I wish to make it crystal clear that I denounce every form of anti-Semitism completely.”

He said that some of his past work had been manipulated by another writer, a well-known and prolific anti-Semitic author. Heimbichner has distanced himself from this author on his Amazon author page, which remains active with photographs, videos and two of his books for sale: “Ritual America” and the one he says was manipulated under his name, “Blood on the Altar.”

“Many years ago, there were some writings put out in my name, but not my words,” Heimbichner said Friday.

Other writings about conspiracy theories, he said, were “from a scholarly standpoint.”

“This work derided conspiracy writers, and further showed that some theories tend to align themselves with anti-Semitic tropes, which as I said, I utterly denounce.”

Heimbichner did not take questions Friday.

“I don’t know that the message could be any more clear, or any more accurate or better than what he has said himself,” Thurmond added. “I think it was courageous and brave for him to make a statement recognizing this is a personnel matter.”

Association with publisher flagged as extremist

Michael A. Hoffman II, a prominent conspiracy researcher who critics have described as a Holocaust-denying anti-Semite, was the publisher of “Blood on the Altar.” The association with Hoffman put him on the radar of organizations that monitor extremism.

A publisher’s note now on the book’s Amazon page counters Heimbichner’s claims, saying: “Craig Heimbichner took ownership of ‘Blood on the Altar’ from the day of its publication in 2005 and for several years afterward. He claimed it as his own and defended its contents in his speeches, writing and talk-show interviews, repeatedly referring to it as ‘my book.’ ”

The third-party investigation into Heimbichner’s writings, which was led by CPS HR Consulting, cost $11,000, said Daniel Thigpen, a spokesman with the California Department of Education. It included a review of published documents, “numerous interviews” and “consultation with subject matter experts.”

Thigpen said the department will not make the report public.

“At the advice of our legal counsel, that document is confidential and not disclosable,” Thigpen said.

Heimbichner, who had been on paid leave since The Bee’s investigation published Feb. 25, had been promoted in January to be an education administrator for the state’s charter school oversight division.

He spent the three prior years in a similar role as a consultant and did related work for the education department from 2002 until August 2006. Heimbichner was also once the CEO of a Sacramento-area charter school system.

Experts denounce writings under his name

Under Heimbichner’s byline, a 6,500-word post in Paranoia Magazine dated January 2013 and called “The Cryptocracy’s Greatest Hits” spells out a host of debunked theories about “ritually-structured” killings — from serial murderers to terrorist attacks and genocide.

The article says, among other things, that the Holocaust was used in history lessons and museums as a tool to promote a permanent Jewish state as part of a global cabal.

“Evidence is plentiful that 9/11 was another inside job — another ‘Pearl Harbor,’ ” the article says. “The evidence ranges from the coordinated, high-level ‘stand down’ orders, which must have been given to belay the mandated air force intercepts of the airliners, to the numerous indications of planned explosives planted in WTC Building 7.”

Journalists, he said, are “a cabal of Government Whores posing as ‘news media.’ ”

Experts in hate groups and extremism said that Heimbichner’s web of conspiracy theories about Freemasons, government cover-ups and a “cryptocracy” should disqualify him from his job in California education.

“There is no way that someone who promotes wild conspiracy theories that are often tinged with bigotry should be in any place of adjudicating the propriety of school curriculum,” said Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino.

“Even if he is not willing to come out right now and articulate a bold-faced anti-Semitic orientation, these are words that clearly resonate with anti-Semites,” said Aryeh Tuchman, the senior associate director for the center on extremism at the Anti-Defamation League.

California Department of Education officials said they received a complaint about Heimbichner’s writings shortly before The Bee’s story published and “immediately launched a full investigation.”

As an education administrator, Heimbichner was involved in directing the planning, administration and evaluation of the state’s charter school oversight group. His work also has included representing California’s education department in disputes over state approval of charter schools.

‘Opportunity to continue to improve’

Since the story in February, advocates in Marin County who have been locked in a disagreement with the state about the future of one school proposal, have called into question Heimbichner’s judgment and ability to do his job.

“Mr. Heimbichner’s writings reflect him as an extremist with an agenda,” advocates wrote in a March letter to the state. “... Certainly, a reasonable person can look at Mr. Heimbichner’s background, including his proliferation of debunked conspiracy theories, and can deduce that he has clouded judgment as well as an inability to objectively review facts and data.”

Department officials cited their ongoing work in allocating grants to school districts for anti-racist educator training and the Education to End Hate Initiative. Without getting into specifics, Thigpen said it would look for ways to improve its hiring and screening procedures.

“In general, we absolutely will use this as an opportunity to continue to improve, take a look at what that process looks like,” Thigpen said.

This story was originally published April 23, 2021 at 1:14 PM with the headline "California official who trafficked in 9/11, anti-Semitic conspiracies returns to state job."