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New York Times
20-02-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
New Allegation of Sexual Misconduct Swirls Around CPAC Chair Matt Schlapp
It's the political equivalent of homecoming week for conservatives, a chance to revel over President Trump's return to power and the dismantling of government institutions despised by the MAGA movement. But as the Conservative Political Action Conference got underway outside Washington on Thursday, the group's influential chairman, Matt Schlapp, was embroiled in another scandal involving allegations of sexual assault against him. The convention comes a week after new accusations emerged in a report by the journalist Yashar Ali that Mr. Schlapp, a confidant of Mr. Trump, had groped a man at bar in Virginia a few days earlier during a gathering of conservatives. Several people have accused Mr. Schlapp of sexual assault in the past, allegations that he has denied and his allies have dismissed as an 'attempt at character assassination.' Mr. Schlapp has not been charged with any crimes related to the accusations. A previous accuser received a $480,000 settlement after dropping his lawsuit against Mr. Schlapp, 57, who opened Thursday's session with his usual conservative bombast. 'Are you glad that America is back on track?' Mr. Schlapp said. 'Has it been a long, tedious four years? Are you ready to tell the whole world that America is ready to be America again?' Mr. Schlapp appeared onstage with his wife, Mercedes Schlapp, who was Mr. Trump's White House director of strategic communications during his first term, and has also played an outsize role at CPAC events. The next part of Thursday's program featured Ms. Schlapp moderating a discussion with Vice President JD Vance, the first headliner at the showcase, which was expected to include speeches by Mr. Trump and the president's billionaire ally, Elon Musk. Mr. Schlapp has not publicly addressed the latest allegations against him. A lawyer who represented him in a lawsuit accusing him of sexual assault, one that resulted in the settlement, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday. Neither did CPAC. At CPAC, attendees said they had not heard about the allegations against Mr. Schlapp and were instead focused on celebrating Mr. Trump. 'I think a lot of times, you find allegations, you dig them up against people because you don't like them,' said Antonio Chaves, 66, who said he was unaware of the claims against Mr. Schlapp. 'So those things can be politically motivated, I don't know.' In the Feb. 13 report on Mr. Ali's Substack site, The Reset, seven people who were at the bar with Mr. Schlapp on the night of Feb. 8 said that they saw him standing uncomfortably close to a group of men. The sources, whose names were withheld because they said that they feared retaliation, told Mr. Ali that Mr. Schlapp had followed some of the men and stood so close to them that it allowed his body to graze theirs. The people who were interviewed said that one man's girlfriend confronted Mr. Schlapp, who was accused by the man and several witnesses of grabbing and gripping the man's genitals while looking directly in the man's eyes, before Mr. Schlapp was briefly escorted out of the bar by a manager. According to the report, Mr. Schlapp returned to the bar, which led to a heated confrontation. The report quickly ricocheted online, drawing the attention of the man who accused Mr. Schlapp in a 2023 lawsuit of 'aggressively fondling' his 'genital area in a sustained fashion' while the two were alone in a car. The plaintiff in the lawsuit, Carlton Huffman, was working for the unsuccessful Senate campaign of Herschel Walker in Georgia at the time that he accused Mr. Schlapp of groping him. Less than 20 minutes after the news broke that Mr. Schlapp had been accused again of sexual misconduct, Mr. Huffman chimed in on X, calling it the 'least surprising headline ever.' And in another post, he said that if anyone needed a good lawyer, they should give his a call. Mr. Huffman, 41, who dropped his lawsuit after receiving the $480,000 settlement last year, did not deny that the posts were his when reached by phone on Thursday, but declined to discuss the matter. 'We have resolved our differences,' he said of Mr. Schlapp. At the time of the settlement, Mr. Huffman said his accusations against Mr. Schlapp had been the result of a misunderstanding. In his lawsuit, Mr. Huffman said that Mr. Schlapp had invited him for a drink in Atlanta after being assigned to drive Mr. Schlapp to a campaign event in October 2022 for Mr. Walker, the former football star who is Mr. Trump's choice to be U.S. ambassador to the Bahamas. Mr. Huffman accused Mr. Schlapp of brushing his leg against his at one of the bars they visited. And when he drove Mr. Schlapp back to Mr. Schlapp's hotel, the lawsuit said, the CPAC chairman grabbed Mr. Huffman's leg and crotch inside the car. Three people associated with Mr. Walker's campaign told The New York Times at the time the lawsuit was filed that — after Mr. Huffman reported the episode the next morning — Mr. Schlapp was barred from future campaign events. Before withdrawing his lawsuit against Mr. Schlapp, Mr. Huffman had accused CPAC officials of having knowledge of other previous accusations against the group's chairman and failing to act. On one occasion, the Washington Post reported, Mr. Schlapp was accused of stripping to his underwear and rubbing against another person without his consent, during a 2022 fund-raising trip to South Florida. In 2017, a CPAC employee accused Mr. Schlapp of trying to kiss him against his wishes, the newspaper reported, citing information from Mr. Huffman's lawsuit.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Conservative Bigwig Matt Schlapp Accused of Groping Another Man at a Virginia Bar
Conservative bigwig Matt Schlapp was accused of grabbing another man's genitals in a Virginia bar and restaurant, according to a Sheriff's Office report obtained by local newspaper Rappahannock News. The details of the alleged Feb. 8 incident were revealed on the first day of the Conservative Political Action Conference, an annual gathering of conservatives in Washington D.C. hosted by the American Conservative Union, which Schlapp has helmed for more than a decade. A report prepared by the Rappahannock County Sheriff's Office, obtained by the local paper and political newsletter 24sight News, indicated that a customer at The Black Twig restaurant in Sperryville had 'assaulted another customer' and was spotted leaving the scene in a silver BMW. Schlapp, 57, was reportedly identified as the subject of the complaint. He and his wife own a weekend home in neighboring Madison County. Black Twig owner Daniel Gleason called the Sheriff's Office at 11:10 p.m. on Feb. 8, according to the report, which stated that the 'subject assaulted one person grabbing their genitals.' Sheriff's deputies in the Page, Madison, and Culpeper counties were issued a 'be on the lookout' alert for Schlapp's vehicle after he left the establishment, the report said. Sheriff Connie Compton told Rappahannock News on Tuesday that the 'suspect [was] never found' and the alleged victim declined to prosecute. The Daily Beast has reached out to Schlapp, the Rappahannock County Sheriff's Office, and The Black Twig for comment. The allegations were first reported last week by independent journalist Yashar Ali, who cited six witnesses and the alleged victim. Exclusive:Seven witnesses tell me that CPAC Chairman Matt Schlapp allegedly engaged in lewd conduct and allegedly sexually assaulted a man at a bar on Saturday night near a property he owns in north-central Story: — Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) February 13, 2025 This is not the first time Schlapp has faced accusations of sexual misconduct. In 2023, the Daily Beast broke the story of then-Republican staffer Carlton Huffman, who accused Schlapp of groping his crotch during a drive back from an Atlanta bar. Schlapp's lawyer Charlie Spies denied the allegation, calling it 'false.' Huffman later sued the powerful conservative lobbyist for battery, defamation, and conspiracy in January 2023, but dropped the lawsuit after Schlapp reportedly made an offer to settle. 'This anonymous complaint demonstrates the accuser's real agenda, working in concert with [The] Daily Beast to attack and harm the Schlapp family,' Spies said in a statement at the time. In August 2023, The Washington Post reported that some CPAC board members and staffers were informed of other incidents involving Schlapp and two younger men. Though Schlapp and CPAC did not respond to The Post's requests for comment on those allegations, ACU executive committee member Matt Smith said they were 'completely fabricated.' CPAC, which dubs itself 'the most influential gathering of conservatives in the world,' will run until Feb. 22. Attendance has declined in recent years but the congregation still offers a peek into the heart of Donald Trump's MAGA movement.
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Breaking down allegations CPAC head Matt Schlapp sexually assaulted another man
On Feb. 13, 2025, rumors began to spread that Matt Schlapp, cofounder and chairman of the board of the American Conservative Union, had sexually assaulted a man at a bar in Virginia. For example, someone posted on X about the alleged incident, implying this was not the first time Schlapp was accused of such an act (archived): The claim originated in a report by independent journalist Yashar Ali, who published it on his newsletter, The Reset. In the report, Ali said the alleged incident had taken place at a bar located near where Schlapp and his wife live in Virginia on Feb. 8, 2025. Ali said he had reviewed images and videos from the evening, and talked to seven witnesses, all of whom claimed Schlapp spent much of the night standing unusually close to groups of men, making them uncomfortable. When they asked him to stop, he would not. One of the men confronted Schlapp later in the evening, the man told Ali, and Schlapp reportedly took the opportunity to grope the man's "gen*t*ls while looking him directly in the eyes." As a result of this alleged assault, a manager of the bar escorted Schlapp outside. Schlapp then reentered the bar, which led to more confrontation, Ali reported. Ali added that Schlapp opened a tab with a credit that had his name on it, and left without settling it. Schlapp has a history of sexual assault allegations involving other men. Schlapp has denied each of them, but reportedly settled one in early 2024 with Carlton Huffman, a former Senate campaign staffer for Georgia Republican Herschel Walker. Huffman filed a lawsuit seeking $9 million that claimed Schlapp invited him to his hotel room and groped him while he was driving him in October 2022. During the proceedings, two more allegations of Schlapp sexually assaulting younger men surfaced. One was from 2017, when a man claimed Schlapp attempted to kiss him after drinks one night, and another was from 2022, when several people familiar with the situation told The Washington Post he had assaulted another man. As part of the settlement, Huffman suggested he was not allowed to elaborate about the incident. "I am only legally allowed to say five words, and that is 'We have resolved our differences,'" Huffman told CNN at the time. "Those are the only five words that I'm legally allowed to say." Citing anonymous sources, CNN said Huffman had received $480,000 from the Schlapps in this settlement. But when Ali's report appeared on Feb. 13, 2025, Huffman posted twice on X. In one post, he quipped about asking the Amazon virtual assistant Alexa for the definition of "vindication" (archived): In the other, which tagged Ali, he said the report did not surprise him (archived): Schlapp has remained silent on the latest allegations as of this writing, though Snopes sent multiple requests for interviews and comment via email to the ACU press office and via LinkedIn direct message to his communications assistant. We also asked Huffman to comment on the reported incident via LinkedIn direct message, as the nature of the assault described in Ali's report was similar to the assault he said Schlapp had committed against him. We will update this report should they respond. The ACU organizes the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, which the organization describes as "the most influential gathering of conservatives in the world." The event was due to start in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 19, 2025. Even as the allegations against him spread, Schapp continued to post on X announcing speakers at CPAC. Ali, Yashar. Exclusive: Matt Schlapp, CPAC Chairman, Allegedly Sexually Assaulted a Man at a Bar, Witnesses Say. Accessed 14 Feb. 2025. Arsndorf, Isaac, and Reinhard Beth. 'CPAC Urged to Probe More Sexual Misconduct Claims against Chair Matt Schlapp'. The Washington Post, 27 Aug. 2023, 'Herschel Walker Staffer: Matt Schlapp "Groped" My Crotch'. The Daily Beast, 5 Jan. 2023, Koenig, Lauren. 'Two More Sexual Assault Claims Surface against Head of Conservative Political Organization | CNN Politics'. CNN, 17 Dec. 2023, Krieg, Jamie Gangel, Gregory. 'CNN Exclusive: Conservative Bigwig Matt Schlapp Agreed to Hefty Settlement to End Sexual Assault Lawsuit | CNN Politics'. CNN, 27 Mar. 2024, Stuart, Jamie Gangel, Gregory Krieg,Elizabeth. 'GOP Strategist Alleges Powerful Conservative Matt Schlapp Sexually Assaulted Him | CNN Politics'. CNN, 11 Jan. 2023,
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
CPAC Chairman Matt Schlapp Accused of Sexually Assaulting Man at Bar
American Conservative Union Chairman Matt Schlapp has been accused of sexually assaulting a man at a bar in a bombshell report released just days before the CPAC's D.C. Convention. The allegations, first reported by Yashar Ali, claim that Schlapp made multiple bar patrons uncomfortable before groping a man and being kicked out of the bar. On Saturday, less than two weeks before the CPAC convention that brings in top conservatives to D.C., Schlapp allegedly followed around and stood close to a multiple groups of men in a Virginia bar, making them uncomfortable. After being confronted by some of the men, Schlapp did not stop, and was grazing his body against men while walking past, according to the report. 'Every time I turned around, this guy was right there, one foot behind me,' the alleged victim told Ali. 'And I was just not comfortable with this.' According to the report, the man's girlfriend confronted Schlapp as well. After the man asked Schlapp to leave, he 'grabbed his genitals while looking him directly in the eyes.' He was then removed from the bar, but later returned and got into a 'heated confrontation,' witnesses said. CPAC did not immediately respond for comment. Long-time Trump backer Schlapp has had sexual misconduct allegations pressed against him before. In 2023, the Daily Beast first reported that a Herschel Walker male staffer claimed that the famed conservative groped him. The staffer, Carlton Huffman, filed a $9 million lawsuit against Schlapp and Mercedes Schlapp, his wife, for battery and defamation. After the allegations were shared with the ACU, Schlapp was never disciplined, according to Ali. The lawsuit then added two other allegations: one in 2022 and 2017 with no alleged victims named. After the allegations were added, Huffman released a statement backtracking. 'The claims made in my lawsuits were the result of a complete misunderstanding, and I regret that the lawsuit caused pain to the Schlapp family,' he wrote at the time. 'Neither the Schlapps nor the ACU paid me anything to dismiss my claims against them.' It was later revealed by CNN that Huffman received a $480,000 settlement through 'an insurance policy.' Schlapp said in a statement, 'From the beginning, I asserted my innocence... Our family was attacked, especially by a left-wing media that is focused on the destruction of conservatives regardless of the truth and the facts.' It is unclear what this could mean for the CPAC convention, which starts on Feb. 19. Some of the speakers include Donald Trump, Karoline Leavitt, Ted Cruz, Steve Bannon, Megyn Kelly,
