(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Matt Schlapp sued for $9.4 million in alleged groping of Walker staffer [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.', 'Backgroundurl Avatar_Large', 'Nickname', 'Joined', 'Created_At', 'Story Count', 'N_Stories', 'Comment Count', 'N_Comments', 'Popular Tags'] Date: 2023-01-17 A former aide to Georgia Senate candidate Herschel Walker is suing Matt Schlapp, the chairman of the American Conservative Union for $9.4 million. He says he is acting after the mega-MAGA Schlapp refused to apologize for groping him in a limo after a boozy night spent at two Atlanta bars last October 19, during Walker’s run-off campaign. In a video he claims he filmed right after the groping and later shared with the Daily Beast, the aide says , “Matt Schlapp of the CPAC grabbed my junk and pummeled it at length, and I’m sitting there thinking what the hell is going on, that this person is literally doing this to me. I’m supposed to pick this motherfucker up in the morning and just pretend like nothing happened. This is what I’m dealing with.” The aide also told the news site that he only filed the suit after Schlapp refused to apologize. There are two possible reasons for refusing to say sorry. One, you did not do it. Or two, you are scared to admit to your wife, the mother of your five kids, that your hobby is junk pummelling. I do not know which one motivates Schlapp. Although he has implied the groping did not occur. His lawyer, in a release wrote, “This anonymous complaint demonstrates the accuser's real agenda, working in concert with [The] Daily Beast to attack and harm the Schlapp family. The complaint is false, and the Schlapp family is suffering unbearable pain and stress due to the false allegation from an anonymous individual. No family should ever go through this, and the Schlapps and their legal team are assessing counter-lawsuit options.” The accuser has so far remained anonymous to try and thwart the organized, and sometimes violent, hate the rabid right marshals against anyone who reveals the depravity of their leaders. He did say he would disclose his identity if Schlapp fails to apologize. As for the Schlapp family’s “unbearable pain and stress” — boo hoo. Schlapp hosts the yearly Conservative Political Action Coalition (CPAC) public get-together. The attendees are not known for their compassion. This prominent conservative love-in unleashes an annual torrent of homophobia as a series of bigoted moralists yell that gay families are hell-bound sinners. Practice what you preach Matt. (Do not hold your breath). I do not know the facts of the case. So Schlapp may be innocent. He has no known previous accusations. And so far, no one else has come forward with a similar story. However, despite rape deniers' claims, it is rare for someone to sue over sexual assault if there are no grounds for it. And Schlapp’s lawyer's wording is curious. Why does he start with “the accuser’s real agenda” is to “attack and harm” the Schlapp family? Surely an innocent man would make his innocence item #1 in his defense. The lawyer further obfuscates their reply by saying, “The complaint is false.” Why did he not claim the assault never happened? Why did he choose a vague phrase instead of a full-throated denial of the underlying event? The reply is written and was not offered under duress, so why the mealymouthed language? It smells like a dodge. A lawyer can not knowingly lie to protect a client. But they can use vague language to imply something without actually saying it. In addition to making a contemporaneous video outlining Shlapp's actions, Schlapp’s accuser added to his credibility by telling his supervisors about the assault the morning after. They provided the accuser with a lawyer. And they told him he would not have to drive Schlapp anymore. Based on legal recommendations, the accuser sent a text to Schlapp saying, “I did want to say I was uncomfortable with what happened last night. The campaign does have a driver who is available to get you to Macon and back to the airport.” Schlapp replied, “Pls give me a call.” And then keep calling. The aide presciently kept screen shoots of the activity. If I had been Schlapp and had done nothing wrong, I think (I cannot say for sure, as it has never happened to me) that I would have just assumed I had said something, after a couple of drinks, that someone took the wrong way. I would not compound the error by stalking them. On the other hand, if Schlapp did something criminal, his behavior could easily be that of a desperate man trying to minimize the fallout from an unwanted groping. I am not Schlapp — and the explanation for his actions might be innocent. However, there seems to be more breadth to his life than his wife, Mercedes is aware of. Or maybe she is a partner in whatever they get up to. Which seems possible as she is a party to the lawsuit. In the suit, the aide accuses her of saying he was a “troubled individual” who had been fired from previous jobs for lying and for making false statements on his résumé. A message that he claimed Mercedes shared on a group text with neighbors. He also says he has never been fired from a job for lying or resume “embellishment.” And how would Mercedes know the circumstances of his work history? My money is on a discrete settlement — with gags all around — and the Schlapps significantly lighter in the wallet. [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/1/17/2147735/-Matt-Schlapp-sued-for-9-4-million-in-alleged-groping-of-Walker-staffer Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/