Topline
A Republican strategist dropped his sexual assault lawsuit against Matt Schlapp on Tuesday, reportedly claiming allegations he made last year that he was groped by Schlapp—chairman of the Conservative Political Action Coalition—were a “complete misunderstanding.”
Key Facts
Carlton Huffman, 40, said Tuesday he was discontinuing lawsuits against Schlapp and his wife Mercedes, suggesting in a statement to multiple outlets the claims he made in those legal complaints were “the result of a complete misunderstanding.”
Huffman, who served as a staffer for Republican Herschel Walker’s failed Georgia Senate campaign, accused Schlapp of “aggressively fondling” his groin in October 2022, before Schlapp allegedly invited Huffman back to his hotel room.
The lawsuit, which sought $9.4 million in damages, also alleged Schlapp and Mercedes engaged in a campaign of defamation and conspiracy to discredit Huffman.
The Schlapps told Huffman that statements they made about him were also “the result of a misunderstanding, which was regrettable,” Huffman reportedly said, adding neither the Schlapps nor the American Conservative Union paid him to dismiss his claims.
Schlapp—who did not reference Huffman–celebrated the dismissal and said his family had “asserted our innocence” after they were “attacked by a left-wing media.”
Key Background
Last January, an unnamed staff member from Walker’s campaign who was later identified as Huffman alleged in an interview with The Daily Beast that Schlapp had “put his hands on me in a sustained and unsolicited and unwanted manner” while at an Atlanta-area bar. One senior Walker campaign official confirmed to NBC News the staff member immediately reported the incident. Schlapp’s lawyer Charlie Spies said the allegations were an “attack” on Schlapp and denied there was “any improper behavior.” Huffman later came forward as the former staffer in an interview with the Washington Post, suggesting he was “not backing away” and that he was “not going to drop this” because Schlapp “did what he did and he needs to be held accountable.” Six of Huffman’s family members and friends and three Walker campaign officials confirmed to the Post that Huffman spoke about the alleged incident that night or the next day. In December, Huffman claimed in an amended lawsuit that the CPAC was aware of previous allegations of sexual misconduct by Schlapp, though the organization allegedly failed to investigate those claims. A spokesperson for Schlapp disputed the new claims as “demonstrably false allegations.”
Tangent
Huffman resigned from a position at the North Carolina General Assembly last year, after an anonymous email sent to local reporters detailed decade-old comments from Huffman, suggesting he was previously sympathetic toward white supremacist causes. Huffman said he had disavowed those views, which he said stemmed from “a time in my life that I am not proud of.” Two months later, two women accused Huffman of sexual assault. Both women were granted a restraining order against Huffman, who denied the allegations.
Further Reading
Sexual Assault Lawsuit Against Matt Schlapp Is Dropped (Forbes)
Former Walker Campaign Staffer Sues GOP Operative Matt Schlapp For Alleged Sexual Assault (Forbes)
Conservative Leader Schlapp Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Herschel Walker Campaign Staffer (Forbes)