Gov. Steve Bullock canceled a press conference in Whitefish today. Bullock had been scheduled to address neo-Nazi threats in the area, but canceled apparently in response to "security concerns," the Whitefish Pilot reports.

The event was planned in response to recent conflicts involving white nationalist Richard Spencer and his mother, Sherry Spencer, who lives in Whitefish. Those conflicts led to the posting of personal information about several local Jewish residents on a neo-Nazi website. (Read the Indy's latest on Richard Spencer and the situation in Whitefish here.)

Bullock's team did not offer a reason for the cancellation, according to the paper, but local activists believe it was related to security concerns relayed by law enforcement and the FBI:

Lisa Jones, a spokesperson for the Whitefish Convention and Visitor Bureau, which has been trying to quell the negative publicity for Whitefish, expressed disappointment over the governor’s canceled event.

“It’s sad we have to be afraid to have a press conference about denouncing hate because of the potential actions of the haters,” Jones said in an email statement.

Bullock now plans to send an opinion column to media outlets.

Read the full Pilot story here.