The staffer said the incident occurred the night of Oct. 19, when Schlapp, chair of the American Conservative Union and lead organizer for the influential Conservative Political Action Conference, “groped” and “fondled” his crotch in his car against his will after buying him drinks at two different bars.
Longtime conservative activist and head of CPAC Matt Schlapp is being accused of “sustained and unwanted and unsolicited” sexual contact after allegedly groping a Herschel Walker staffer’s crotch in October.
Among other attendees at the Christmas party included Stephen Miller, a longtime ally to former President Donald Trump, Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, Trump's former White House press secretary Sean Spicer, and Rep.-elect George Santos of New York, Politico reported.
The appearance has sparked questions about possible conflicts of interest with a sitting Supreme Court justice attending a private party of right-wing leaders. Miller's conservative group, America First Legal, has filed briefs on cases that are pending before the Supreme Court, according to Bloomberg.
The news also comes as the Supreme Court has come under renewed scrutiny over ethics concerns after The New York Times reported of a potential breach of an opinion in 2014.
Christian evangelical minister Rev. Robert Schenck told The Times and testified before the House Judiciary Committee last week that he gained advance knowledge of the decision in the high-profile Supreme Court case, Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores. The 5-4 majority, in an opinion delivered by Justice Samuel Alito, ruled that paying for insurance that covered contraception violated the religious freedoms of privately held, for-profit companies.
Schenck, a former anti-abortion activist, told congressional lawmakers that he had been involved in a decades-long effort to try and influence the thinking of some of the conservative Supreme Court justices.
Democratic lawmakers have introduced legislation to establish an enforceable code of conduct for the Supreme Court justices. Unlike lower federal judges, the justices are not bound by any code of conduct. The staffer described Schlapp, who had traveled to Georgia for a Walker campaign event, as inappropriately and repeatedly intruding into his personal space at the bars. He said he was also keenly aware of his “power dynamic” with Schlapp, widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in national conservative politics.
We are withholding the staffer’s name at his request, citing concerns of drawing attention to himself while embarking on his first weeks in a new job in Republican politics. He said he would come forward with his real name if Schlapp denied his claims.
In a statement to The Daily Beast, Schlapp attorney Charlie Spies called the allegations an “attack” and said Schlapp “denies any improper behavior.”
“This appears to be now the twelfth Daily Beast piece with personal attacks on Matt Schlapp and his family. The attack is false and Mr. Schlapp denies any improper behavior. We are evaluating legal options for response,” the statement said.
The staffer, in his late thirties, recalled that while he drove Schlapp back to the hotel, Schlapp put his hand on his leg, then reached over and “fondled” his crotch at length while he was frozen in shock, calling it “scarring” and “humiliating.” When they arrived at the hotel, the staffer said Schlapp invited him to his room. The staffer said he declined and left “as quickly as I could.”
Schlapp, the staffer recalled, said he had wanted to spend the evening discussing the staffer’s professional future.
“It was a public space, and I was thinking that he got the hint. I did not want to embarrass him,” he said. “But it escalated.”
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