Herschel Walker Staffer Who Accused Prominent GOP Lobbyist of Groping Him Files Lawsuit

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A former staffer for Herschel Walker's failed Senate campaign has filed suit against Matt Schlapp, the chairman of the American Conservative Union, alleging the Republican strategist assaulted him and that he and his wife, Mercedes Schlapp, defamed him by denying his story.

The suit, filed in a Virginia circuit court, seeks $9.4 million in damages and claims battery, defamation and conspiracy.

Schlapp has responded via a statement from his attorney, which he shared on Twitter. "The complaint is false, and the Schlapp family is suffering unbearable pain and stress due to the false allegation from an anonymous individual," it reads. "No family should ever go through this, and the Schlapps and their legal team are assessing counter-suit options."

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The staffer's suit comes weeks after he told The Daily Beast that he was the victim of "sustained and unwanted and unsolicited" sexual contact by Schlapp in October. Schlapp denied those claims, prompting the staffer to take legal action.

According to the suit, which is filed anonymously by the staffer as "John Doe," the incident allegedly took place when Schlapp was in Atlanta and the staffer was tasked with serving as his driver. He says that after Schlapp invited the staffer for drinks, the staffer accepted, hoping they could discuss his political future. But once at a bar, the staffer claims Schlapp sat "unusually close" to him and "was in almost constant contact" with his leg.

The complaint alleges that the staffer grew uncomfortable, which Schlapp took note of, asking "why he would not look at him."

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The staffer says that eventually, he offered to drive Schlapp back to his hotel room, noting that the two had an early-morning event the next day.

On the drive to Schlapp's hotel, the suit alleges, Schlapp "placed his hand on Mr. Doe's leg. Mr. Doe was frozen with shock, mortification, and fear from what was happening, particularly given Mr. Schlapp's power and status in conservative political circles."

Schlapp, a longtime Republican activist and an ally of former President Donald Trump, serves as the chairman of the Conservative Political Action Conference, a hugely influential annual conservative gathering that serves as a springboard for many right-wing pundits and politicians.

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The suit continues: "Then, Mr. Schlapp moved his hand and began aggressively fondling Mr. Doe's genital area in a sustained fashion. Again, Mr. Doe was frozen with fear and panic from what was happening."

Noting that he "did not consent to Mr. Schlapp's fondling of his genital area," the staffer claims he then declined an invitation by Schlapp to "come to his hotel room."

The complaint alleges that the staffer informed several others of what happened that same night, and also recorded a video in which he recounted the event. He claims he also told officials in the Walker campaign — his employer at the time — what happened, leading the campaign team to arrange for someone else to drive Schlapp the next day.

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The suit includes screenshots of text messages in which the staffer tells Schlapp he won't be driving him any longer, as he was "uncomfortable with what happened last night." Schlapp responds with a text that reads, in part: "If you could see it in your heart to call me at the end of the day, I would appreciate it."

The staffer claims that, after he went forward with his story to The Daily Beast, Schlapp and his wife, Mercedes — who served as director of strategic communications for the Trump campaign — began to make "false statements designed to falsely impugn" the staffer's reputation. The suit includes screenshots of text messages allegedly sent by both Matt and Meredes Schlapp to friends and neighbors, which claim the staffer is a "troubled individual" who has been previously fired for "lying on his resume."

The staffer claims he was never fired from any job for lying.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.