Yesterday,
POLITICO
exposed
yet
another
up-and-coming
Republican
group
chat
with
wildly
offense
rhetoric.
This
one
features
the
off-color
remarks
of
Paul
Ingrassia,
Donald
Trump’s
nominee
for
the
position
of
federal
ethics
watchdog
Special
Counsel.
Ingrassia
graduated
from
Cornell
Law
a
whole
three(!)
years
ago,
and
was
admitted
to
the
New
York
bar
a
scant
year
ago.
But
that
isn’t
the
most
eye-popping
aspect
of
his
nomination.
There
are
the
alleged
links
to
antisemitic
extremists,
the
sexual
harassment
investigation,
and
now
the
racist
texts.
According
to
POLITICO,
in
the
right-wing
group
chat
Ingrassia
wrote,
“MLK
Jr.
was
the
1960s
George
Floyd
and
his
‘holiday’
should
be
ended
and
tossed
into
the
seventh
circle
of
hell
where
it
belongs.”
And,
“No
moulignon
holidays
…
From
kwanza
[sic]
to
mlk
jr
day
to
black
history
month
to
Juneteenth,”
then
added:
“Every
single
one
needs
to
be
eviscerated.”
Then
there’s
the
self-proclaimed
“Nazi
streak”:
“Paul
belongs
in
the
Hitler
Youth
with
Ubergruppenfuhrer
Steve
Bannon,”
the
first
participant
in
the
chat
wrote,
referring
to
the
paramilitary
rank
in
Nazi
Germany
and
the
Republican
strategist.
POLITICO
is
not
naming
the
participants
to
protect
the
identity
of
those
interviewed
for
this
article.“I
do
have
a
Nazi
streak
in
me
from
time
to
time,
I
will
admit
it,”
Ingrassia
responded,
according
to
the
chain.
One
of
the
people
in
the
text
group
said
in
an
interview
that
Ingrassia’s
comment
was
not
taken
as
a
joke,
and
three
participants
pushed
back
against
Ingrassia
during
the
text
exchange
that
day.Referring
to
white
nationalist
Nick
Fuentes
and
the
“Live
From
America”
show
on
the
video-sharing
platform
Rumble,
a
second
member
of
the
group
replied:
“New
LFA
show
coming
starring
Nick
Fuentes
&
Paul
Adolf
Ingrassia.”
To
which
Ingrassia
wrote,
“Lmao,”
according
to
the
group
chat.
And
when
other
participants
called
out
Ingrassia’s
comments,
he
allegedly
dug
in.
When
one
member
of
the
group
chat
noted,
“You’re
gunna
be
in
private
practice
one
day
this
shit
will
be
around
forever
brother.”
Ingrassia
went
off:
Ingrassia
posted
an
image
of
paintings
showing
several
Founding
Fathers,
including
Washington,
John
Adams
and
Alexander
Hamilton,
into
the
chat.
“We
should
celebrate
white
men
and
western
civilization
and
I
will
never
back
down
from
that,”
he
wrote,
according
to
the
chain.The
third
participant
of
the
group
criticized
Ingrassia’s
“white
nationalist”
tone
then
said
he
was
coming
across
“with
a
tinge
of
racism.”
The
second
participant
then
said
he
sounded
like
“a
scumbag,”
to
which
Ingrassia
allegedly
replied,
“Nah
it’s
fine
…
Don’t
be
a
boomer
…
I
don’t
mind
being
a
scumbag
from
time
to
time,”
the
texts
show.
A
lawyer
for
Ingrassia
tried
to
cast
doubt
on
the
messages,
telling
POLITICO,
“Looks
like
these
texts
could
be
manipulated
or
are
being
provided
with
material
context
omitted.
However,
arguendo,
even
if
the
texts
are
authentic,
they
clearly
read
as
self-deprecating
and
satirical
humor
making
fun
of
the
fact
that
liberals
outlandishly
and
routinely
call
MAGA
supporters
‘Nazis.’”
But
the
reaction
in
Washington
has
not
been
as
forgiving.
According
to
reports,
at least
four
Republican
senators
—
notably
including
Senate
majority
leader,
John
Thune,
have
signaled
concerns
with
the
nomination
following
the
revelations.
Ingrassia
is
scheduled
to
appear
before
the
Senate
Homeland
Security
and
Governmental
Affairs
committee
later
this
week,
and
two
of
the
Republican
members
of
that
committee
have
issues
with
the
nominees.
Rick
Scott
said
he
doesn’t
support
the
nominee
and
Ron
Johnson
called
for
the
White
House
to
pull
the
nom.
But
a
whistleblower
report
on
Emil
Bove
telling
DOJ
staff
to
tell
the
courts
“f*ck
you”
didn’t
stop
his
elevation
to
the
Third
Circuit,
so
well
just
have
to
see
if
the
Republican
backbone
lasts.
Kathryn
Rubino
is
a
Senior
Editor
at
Above
the
Law,
host
of
The
Jabot
podcast,
and
co-host
of
Thinking
Like
A
Lawyer.
AtL
tipsters
are
the
best,
so
please
connect
with
her.
Feel
free
to
email
her
with
any
tips,
questions,
or
comments
and
follow
her
on
Twitter
@Kathryn1 or
Mastodon
@[email protected].