Politco “fired” reporter who described the late pope as a “pedophile protector and Hitler Youth alumnus.”

A Politico reporter who called Pope Benedict XVI. a “homophobic pedophile protector and Hitler Youth alumnus” after his death last month appears to have been fired, according to his LinkedIn profile and personal website.

Eric Geller, who wrote about cybersecurity for Politico for more than six years, stirred controversy after he shared the late Pope’s death on Twitter with an offensive caption on December 31, hours after his death was announced.

“Homophobic pedophile protector and Hitler Youth alumnus dead at 95,” Geller said in full in a now-deleted tweet.

When asked if Geller was fired, Brad Dayspring, Politico’s vice president of marketing and communications, declined to comment, but referenced a tweet of his own in which he implied that Geller’s comment violated company policy and could result in termination.

Politico cybersecurity reporter Eric Geller appears to have lost his job after an insulting tweet about the late Pope

“Homophobic pedophile protector and Hitler Youth alumnus dead at 95,” Geller said in full in a now-deleted tweet

Hours after Geller posted the tweet, he removed it, saying, “I deleted the tweet about Pope Benedict which was offensive and in poor judgment.”

Since then, his personal website has evolved from being described as a “cybersecurity reporter at Politico” to a “cybersecurity journalist in Washington, DC,” according to Internet Archives.

Similarly, he changed his Twitter bio to remove any reference to Politico and changed his LinkedIn information to indicate his role there ended in January 2023.

Geller did not respond to DailyMail.com to confirm he was fired from Politico.

Pope Benedict died in the Vatican on December 31 after a long illness. He was head of the Catholic Church from 2005 until his resignation in 2013.

Geller’s Twitter bio preceding the tweet (left) references his tenure at Politico. A new bio no longer refers to the outlet and simply describes him as a “journalist.”

Born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, he was forced to join the Hitler Youth at the age of 14 while growing up in Nazi Germany. He was drafted into the anti-aircraft service at 16 and was drafted into the army at 21, the Washington Post reported.

Its history was a sensitive and controversial issue for the Catholic Church, which had historically come under criticism for its neutrality during World War II.

Benedict has since reported on this period in his life, explaining that he was forced to join the Nazi youth organization at a certain age and that a kind math teacher helped him avoid attending meetings.

In 2013, he became the first pope to resign in 600 years, leaving the Catholic Church at a time when the Catholic Church was riddled with scandals surrounding sex abuse and pedophilia.

Pope Benedict died in the Vatican on December 31 after a long illness. He was head of the Catholic Church from 2005 until his resignation in 2013

Hours after Geller posted the tweet, he removed it, saying, “I deleted the tweet about Pope Benedict which was offensive and in poor judgment.”

Dayspring said at the time that “the tweet is a clear violation of our social media policy” and could result in termination

Dayspring later tweeted on December 31, saying, “The tweet is a clear violation of our social media policy and was both inaccurate and offensive.

“Violations of company policy – ​​including the social media policy – ​​are subject to an internal review process.

‘Without elaborating on this specific matter (as it is currently under investigation), violations of company policy could result in disciplinary action up to and including termination.’

When asked if Geller had terminated his employment, Dayspring told DailyMail.com, “We generally do not comment on HR or disciplinary matters,” merely citing his existing tweet.