An amended lawsuit claims that higher-ups overseeing the Conservative Political Action Conference knew about previous claims of sexual misconduct by Chairman Matt Schlapp but failed to act.
The amended battery and defamation suit claims the officials failed to investigate the allegations or remove Schlapp from his position, even though two men joined Carlton Huffman, who filed his lawsuit in January, in reporting alleged misconduct to CPAC’s parent organization, American Conservative Union.
TRUMP INFLAMES WORRIES WITH CALLS FOR REVENGE AND ‘RETRIBUTION,’ BUT THERE ARE LIMITS
“ACU previously was notified and aware of Matthew Schlapp’s propensity for unlawful sexual assault and battery, including at least two prior incidents of similar conduct,” the filing said. “ACU was negligent in its continued employment of Matthew Schlapp in a prominent leadership role.”
The two new individuals are not named in the lawsuit and are not joining the case. But their reports were found during discovery, according to the Washington Post.
The amendment also details the alleged incidents, the first of which was in 2017 at a CPAC after-party, when Schlapp attempted to kiss a male employee against his wishes, the lawsuit claims. The second occurred during a fundraising trip to South Florida in early 2022. According to the filing, Schlapp was accused of stripping to his underwear and rubbing against another person without his consent.
Schlapp’s spokesman Mark Corallo has rejected the accusations and claimed the new ones in the filing are attempts to sway the jury.
“These demonstrably false allegations are a continuation of transparent and desperate tactics,” Corallo told the newspaper, adding that Huffman is trying “to bolster his spurious claims and taint potential jurors.”
Huffman, who previously worked for former Georgia Senate hopeful Herschel Walker‘s campaign, alleges that Schlapp groped his groin while he was driving the conservative operative back to his hotel in Atlanta last year. His lawsuit also alleges Schlapp then invited him to his room, though Huffman said he declined.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The lawsuit also accuses Schlapp and his wife, Mercedes Schlapp, a CPAC senior fellow and former Trump adviser, of defamation.
The lawsuit is seeking $9.4 million in damages.
