GOP strategist comes forward publicly in sexual assault case against conservative leader Matt Schlapp

The Republican political strategist who accused conservative chief Matt Schlapp, the influential chairman of the American Conservative Union, of sexual assault is revealing his identification after a choose dominated Wednesday that he can not transfer ahead together with his lawsuit anonymously.

Carlton Huffman, 39, was working for Herschel Walker’s Senate marketing campaign in Georgia when Huffman mentioned Schlapp groped and fondled his groin with out his consent as he drove the ACU president again from two space bars to an Atlanta lodge a number of weeks earlier than the November midterm election.

Huffman, who gave CNN permission to make use of his title forward of the court docket’s resolution being made public, plans to proceed together with his civil lawsuit, which is looking for greater than $9 million in damages for alleged sexual battery, defamation and conspiracy to impugn the accuser.

In a press release given to CNN, Huffman mentioned, “On Oct 19, 2022, Matt Schlapp tried to take my dignity however he didn’t take my voice. Right now, I reclaim that voice and for each sufferer of sexual assault, I’m right here to say there’s justice and there will probably be accountability. I sit up for our day in court docket.”

Benjamin Chew, the Schlapps’ lawyer, advised CNN, “The Schlapps are gratified by the Court docket’s resolution.”

Mark Corallo, a spokesman for the Schlapps, mentioned in a separate assertion, “We’re assured that when his full report is delivered to mild in a court docket of regulation, we’ll prevail. Out of respect for the court docket, we’ve no additional remark at the moment.”

An lawyer for Huffman didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.

Schlapp, greatest identified for his position in internet hosting the ACU’s annual Conservative Political Motion Convention, has denied Huffman’s allegations. However some Republicans linked diminished curiosity and attendance on the CPAC gathering final week in Maryland, which was additionally riven by inner divisions over former President Donald Trump, to allegations towards Schlapp.

“It’s a scandal,” one Republican operative who has labored on a number of presidential campaigns advised CNN. “If you’re fascinated about operating for president and also you’re not Donald Trump, you may’t afford a misstep. You’ll be able to’t afford to be linked to a scandal.”

Huffman was working for the Georgia GOP and Walker’s marketing campaign on the time and had been assigned to drive Schlapp to marketing campaign occasions within the Atlanta space.

Huffman, who was listed as John Doe within the preliminary lawsuit, alleges that after he got here ahead together with his accusations, Schlapp and Mercedes Schlapp, his spouse, partook in “dishonest efforts” together with “others related to and appearing in live performance with them, to discredit Mr. Doe.”

The lawsuit goes on to say that, because of the Schlapps’ alleged conspiracy, Huffman “suffered damages, together with and with out limitation embarrassment, humiliation, stress, and reputational hurt.”

Regardless of often butting heads with Trump earlier than the 2016 presidential election, Matt Schlapp and the ACU have since turn out to be fierce loyalists of the previous president. Schlapp, who served within the George W. Bush White Home as director of political affairs, took over the group in 2014. Mercedes Schlapp labored as Trump’s communications director for practically two years, from 2017 to 2019.

ACU management defended Schlapp after the allegations turned public earlier this yr, calling the preliminary report an try at “character assassination.” The group’s first and second vice chairs added, “We stand squarely behind Matt Schlapp, and the ACU Board of Administrators has full confidence in his management of the group.”

Huffman mentioned he had agreed to satisfy Schlapp for a beer in October as a result of he was “desirous to make a connection” as a consequence of Schlapp’s prominence throughout the Republican Social gathering. The boys met up for drinks at two Atlanta bars, and whereas on the second bar, the lawsuit says Schlapp “sat unusually near Mr. Doe, such that his leg repeatedly contacted and was in nearly fixed contact with Mr. Doe’s leg,” making him uncomfortable, based on the lawsuit.

Huffman alleged that as he drove Schlapp to his lodge, Schlapp “started aggressively fondling (his) genital space in a sustained vogue,” the lawsuit says, inflicting Huffman to freeze with “worry and panic from what was taking place.”

Later that night, Schlapp referred to as Huffman, based on a name log reviewed by CNN, to substantiate that Huffman could be driving him to a different Walker occasion the subsequent morning. After receiving the decision, Huffman mentioned he broke down and memorialized what occurred by recording movies of himself describing the alleged assault.

“Matt Schlapp, of the CPAC, grabbed my junk and pummeled it at size. And I’m sitting there (within the automobile) saying, ‘What the hell is happening that this particular person with a spouse and youngsters is actually doing this to me, from Manuel’s Tavern to the Hilton Backyard Inn there on the Atlanta Airport,’” Huffman mentioned in one of many self-recorded clips, which CNN reviewed. “He actually has his palms on me. And I really feel so f**king soiled. Really feel so f**king soiled. So I don’t know what to do within the morning.”

Huffman finally determined to inform prime Walker marketing campaign officers in regards to the alleged incident. They instantly directed him to not drive Schlapp and to cross on a cellphone quantity for a automobile service.

Senior Walker marketing campaign officers confirmed to CNN that they spoke with Huffman and instantly notified marketing campaign legal professionals. One supply advised CNN that Huffman was supplied choices, together with authorized counsel, contacting regulation enforcement, a therapist, or if he needed, to talk to reporters. The supply added that he thought Huffman was offended and mortified by the state of affairs.

The go well with additionally said that, within the wake of the sexual assault accusations first changing into public earlier this month, Mercedes Schlapp allegedly despatched a message to a neighborhood group “chat or textual content” claiming the accuser was a “troubled particular person” who had been fired from a number of jobs, together with for “mendacity and mendacity on his resume.”

Huffman, within the submitting, mentioned he has by no means been fired from a job for mendacity or mendacity on his resume and alleged that the Schlapps have engaged in “a marketing campaign to impugn” him.

Tim Hyland, an lawyer for Huffman, mentioned in an earlier assertion that, “As a result of Mr. Schlapp has refused to come clean with his misbehavior, this go well with goals to make Mr. Schlapp, and people who lie for him, accountable for his or her actions.”

This story has been up to date with extra data.