WASHINGTON — A Republican nominee for Congress photographed in a German Nazi Waffen SS uniform said he wore it for World War Two re-enactments, The Atlantic magazine reported.

Rich Iott, a conservative Tea Party favorite, denied any Nazi sympathy, saying in a statement that historical re-enacting was a hobby enjoyed by millions of men and women which he had been involved in from many different eras since his college years.

According to The Atlantic, Iott, whose district lies in Northwest Ohio, was involved with a group devoted to re-enacting the exploits of the 5th SS Panzer Division Wiking, which fought mainly on the Eastern Front during World War II.

When contacted by The Atlantic, Iott confirmed his involvement with the group over a number of years, but said his interest in Nazi Germany was historical and he does not subscribe to the tenets of Nazism.

Iott says the group chose the Wiking division in part because it fought on the Eastern Front, mainly against the Soviet Russian Army, and not US or British soldiers, the liberal magazine said.

"Never, in any of my re-enacting of military history, have I meant any disrespect to anyone who served in our military or anyone who has been affected by the tragedy of war, especially the Jewish community," Iott said in the statement.

"I have immense respect for veterans who served our country valiantly, particularly those who fought to rid the world of tyranny and aggression by relegating Nazism to the trash heap of history," he continued.

"I also believe we need to ?never forget? what happened to Jews during that war. In fact, my respect for the military and our veterans and my concern for the victims of war is one of the reasons I have actively studied military history throughout my life."

The picture of Iott wearing the uniform can be seen at