Asked for comment, Schlapp’s attorney, Charlie Spies, called the allegation «false» and said that «the Schlapp family is suffering unbearable pain and stress» as a result. Schlapp also tweeted Spies’ statement.
“No family should have to go through this, and the Schlapps and their legal team are evaluating options for a countersuit,” said Spies, who represents the couple.
The lawsuit follows claims earlier this month from a former Walker campaigner who said Schlapp sexually assaulted him in Georgia in October while Schlapp was visiting the state to support the Republican Senate candidate.
The male staff member said that Schlapp, without consent, «groped» and «groped» his groin while the staff member was driving Schlapp back to his hotel on October 19. POLITICO previously confirmed the existence of the allegations, which were first reported on January 6 by the Daily Beast. In the lawsuit, Schlapp is said to have placed his hand on the staff member’s leg before he «began to aggressively caress Mr. Doe’s genital area in a sustained manner» while the staff member was «frozen with fear and shock.» panic». Schlapp then reportedly invited the staff member to his hotel room, which the man declined.
The couple had been out for drinks in Atlanta after Schlapp spent the day campaigning with Walker in Perry, Georgia, Walker’s campaign officials told POLITICO.
In a statement, the plaintiff’s attorney, Timothy Hyland, said his client «is not happy to file this lawsuit» but that Schlapp «has had enough time to accept responsibility and apologize for his despicable actions.»
In interviews with the alleged victim and four campaign staffers, POLITICO confirmed that a small number of campaign officials became aware of the staffer’s claims about Schlapp within hours of the alleged assault. They advised the staffer not to get in a vehicle with Schlapp again, as he was scheduled for a campaign event in Macon, Georgia, the next day. The staff member said he ultimately did not drive Schlapp again.
After consulting with senior officials about the campaign on the morning of the 20th, the alleged victim sent Schlapp a phone number of a private driver unaffiliated with Walker’s campaign, according to two people familiar with the events. Schlapp ultimately did not show up at the Macon rally, and Walker campaign staff who had previously coordinated with Schlapp’s team said they never heard from them or an explanation for why he cut his trip short.
A senior Walker campaign official said that even if Schlapp had found his own transportation to the Macon rally, he would not have been allowed to speak after his alleged misconduct the night before.
“If he had shown up at the event, we weren’t going to make him talk,” the senior Walker official said. «We were going to politely decline.»
Walker himself eventually learned of the situation, according to a campaign person with knowledge of the matter, and advised another staffer to put the alleged victim in contact with the campaign’s attorney for legal help. Walker’s campaign also informed the staffer that he would cover the cost of the therapy. The staffer told POLITICO that he never heard directly from Walker on the matter.
After a few days of Walker officials following up with the staffer to make sure he felt the situation was being handled appropriately, the alleged assault was never brought up again, the senior campaign official said.
However, in late December, the staff member in question tweeted a veiled reference to Schlapp’s bad behavior and tagged his wife Mercedes Schlapp, before deleting the post. The tweet was part of a series of posts about complaints about «Festivus,» according to two people who saw it.
The staffer alleges in his lawsuit that he was smeared by both the Schlapps and conservative operatives aligned with them. The lawsuit includes a screenshot, purportedly of a text Mercedes Schlapp sent to a neighborhood chat group on January 7, calling the accuser a «troubled individual.» The text message describes the man as someone who was «fired from multiple jobs,» including for «lying on his resume.» The employee claims that none of the accusations are true.
Hyland described his client in the complaint as someone who «is and has been involved since 2012 in conservative and Republican Party politics» in roles as field coordinator and base director. In Walker’s campaign, the plaintiff worked as a «mid-level clerk.» Hyland said his client was protecting his identity because he is a victim of sexual assault.
The lawsuit comes weeks before CPAC hosts its largest annual conference March 1-4. The event will return to Gaylord National Harbor in Maryland after a stint in Orlando during the Covid pandemic. CPAC has expanded its conference calendar, hosting other summits over the past year in Texas, Mexico, Hungary, Israel, and Australia.
Two ACU board members issued a statement of support for Schlapp after the Daily Beast story published on January 6, and a previously scheduled CPAC donor gala that weekend was held at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort as scheduled.