The University of Helsinki is investigating a controversial case involving visiting researcher David Skrbina, who is suspected of ties to well-known antisemitic influencers.
The investigation follows an incident in December when Skrbina appeared on Kevin Barrett's Truth Jihad programme. Barrett is a prominent conspiracy theorist accused of harbouring antisemitic views, including Holocaust denial.
The incident took a peculiar turn when Skrbina joined the video discussion under two different profiles: his own name and the alias Thomas Dalton. Dalton is a notorious antisemitic author known for Holocaust denial and other controversial writings, though his true identity remains unknown, with many believing it to be a pseudonym.
The situation came to public attention when the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), an anti-racism organisation, published an article linking Skrbina to Dalton. The Finnish newspaper Demokraatti has also reported on the matter.
Skrbina, who has worked as an adjunct lecturer at Helsinki University between 2020 and 2023, holds a visiting researcher contract with the university until the end of 2025. According to the university, there are no planned research or teaching activities with him for this year.
The university became aware of the concerns following the publication of the online articles. Mari Sandell, vice dean of the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, told Yle that the situation is under investigation, adding that faculty members involved with Skrbina were surprised and confused by the developments.
Skrbina has denied being Thomas Dalton when contacted by Yle. However, connections between the two men have raised suspicions.
Links between Skrbina and Dalton
The SPLC has previously suggested that Skrbina may be the person behind the alias Thomas Dalton. In a review of Dalton's book The Jewish Hand in the World Wars, which promotes conspiracy theories about Jewish involvement in World War II, Skrbina praised the work, calling it thought-provoking and filled with lessons for modern times.
Skrbina has also made harsh statements regarding Israel under his own name. On his website, he calls for support for Palestine against what he describes as a "criminal Jewish state".
Further evidence linking Skrbina to Dalton includes antisemitic files found on Dalton's website, which, according to metadata, were created by someone named David Skrbina. The websites of both Skrbina and Dalton share the same IP address and appear to have been built with identical tools. Additionally, the metadata descriptions on both websites show striking similarities.
However, none of this evidence conclusively proves that Skrbina is Dalton. The same IP address can be used by numerous websites, and metadata can be manipulated.
Skrbina firmly denies any connection to Dalton, stating in an email to Yle that he is not Dalton.
Skrbina's Defence
In response to Yle's inquiries, Skrbina described his participation in Barrett's programme as a "joke".
"The event on Barrett's show was a joke, which both parties laughed about. Then a criminal organisation used it as the basis for defamation against me," he explained, referring to the SPLC's article.
Skrbina further speculated that he might have been the victim of video manipulation.
"I joined the conversation as myself. There are all sorts of video manipulation techniques, but I don't know how they are done," he said.
Regarding the IP addresses and text file details, Skrbina argued that these too could be manipulated, and thus, could not be considered definitive proof.
When asked directly if he is Thomas Dalton, Skrbina gave a blunt denial: "The answer is simply no."
The controversy has prompted some of the publishers that have released Skrbina's works to react. Among them, Suomalainen Kirjakauppa, one of Finland's largest bookstores, removed Skrbina's book The Jesus Hoax, which questions the historical accuracy of the story of Jesus in the Bible, from its shelves after Yle's inquiry.