Matt Schlapp, co-founder and chairman of the board of the American Conservative Union (CPAC), has been accused of sexually assaulting a man at a bar in Virginia on Feb. 8, 2025, reports independent journalist Yashar Ali:
I spoke to seven sources, a mix of men and women, who were present at the bar on Saturday night. All of them spoke on the condition of anonymity, either because they feared retaliation from the well-connected Schlapp or because their employers would disapprove of them speaking to the press without authorization.
I have also reviewed video footage and photographs confirming Schlapp was present at the bar.
Further, sources confirmed to me that Schlapp used a credit card in his name to set up a tab, which he did not close out.
After I texted Schlapp the allegations and information about my story, he quickly called me twice and also texted, asking me to call him. I told him I would call him back in five minutes, and he acknowledged my response. I returned the call five minutes later but received no answer.
My text message not only laid out the allegations but also provided Schlapp with a specific deadline for comment. I stated that I would only speak to him or his representatives on the record and would not engage in off-the-record or on-background conversations a long-standing policy I follow when stories involve allegations of misconduct.
Schlapp never returned my call. Since that brief text exchange, I have texted him several more times, called him again, and emailed him. I also tweeted at him before I published this story.
Schlapp was previously accused of sexually assaulting Carlton Huffman, a former Senate campaign staffer for Georgia Republican Herschel Walker. Schlapp allegedly fondled Huffman without his consent during a car ride in October 2022. CNN reported a $480,000 settlement was paid to Huffman through an insurance policy.
The Washington Post reported Schlapp was also accused of sexual misconduct in 2017 and in early 2022. Updated court filings allege the incidents were reported to staffers of the American Conservative Union, but “no action was taken against Schlapp.”
(Sources: Yashar Ali, The Washington Post, CNN)