A Texas GOP official who mocked vaccines and pushed anti-mask content died from COVID-19

• A Texas GOP official who mocked vaccines died from COVID-19.
• H. Scott Apley, a State Republican Executive Committee member, died on Wednesday.
• Apley had shared a meme questioning the usefulness of COVID-19 vaccines.

NEW LOOK

Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read preview

Thanks for signing up!

Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. download the app

Email address

Sign up

By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You can opt-out at any time.

A Texas GOP official died with COVID-19 days after sharing a meme questioning the usefulness of coronavirus vaccines.

H. Scott Apley, a member of the State Republican Executive Committee, died in a hospital on Wednesday morning. The Texas Republican Party confirmed his death on Wednesday.

He had tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday, according to a fundraising page set up to cover his medical bills and, later, his funeral expenses. As of early Thursday, it had raised $28,000.

Apley, who was also a member of the Dickinson County Council, was a new father, the page said.

"I am very saddened to report that H Scott Apley passed away last night at about 3 am," an update on the page said. "He leaves behind his wife, Melissa, who is COVID positive, as well as their infant son Reid."

Five days before his death, The Daily Beast first reported, Apley shared a screenshot of a tweet on Facebook that said: "In 6 months, we've gone from the vax ending the pandemic—to you can still get covid even if vaxxed—to you can pass covid onto others even if vaxxed—to you can still die of covid even if vaxxed—to the unvaxxed are killing the vaxxed."

In May, he shared a link to an article that described how officials were using tickets and giveaways to incentivize people to get vaccinated, adding, "Disgusting."

He also shared an invitation to a "mask burning" event at a pub in Cincinnati with the caption "I wish I lived in the area!"

Dickinson Mayor Sean Skipworth told The Galveston County Daily News that he did not know whether Apley had been vaccinated against COVID-19.

The Texas Republican Party said in its statement that it was "incredibly saddened to learn of the passing of State Republican Executive Committee (SREC) Member Scott Apley from Senate District 11."

"Please join me in lifting the Apley family up in prayer," its chairman, Matt Rinaldi, said.