Carlton Huffman, the GOP operative who accused the American Conservative Union chairman and Closeted Fascist in Chief, Matt Schlapp, of unwanted sexual advances, including groping and fondling his groin without consent, just received a $480,000 settlement through an insurance company. Both parties cannot disclose details of the settlement, although Schlapp boasted earlier on X that in so many words, he’s been exonerated; he later removed the tweet. The original lawsuit filed by Huffman against Schlapp asked for more than $9 million in damages.
The settlement does not exonerate Schlapp in any way, shape, or form; it merely spares him from a trial where other witnesses have come forward and were scheduled to be disposed.
By agreeing to the deal now, Schlapp and his lawyers prevented potentially damaging testimony from becoming public, including a deposition by Charlie Gerow, a former vice chair of CPAC and ACU board member who expressed serious concerns about Schlapp’s behavior in his resignation letter, as well as two witnesses who had previously accused Schlapp of sexual misconduct.
Schlapp will also be spared from having to testify in open court.
In addition, the settlement headed off new testimony from multiple witnesses who were scheduled to be deposed, including former officials from (Herschel) Walker’s 2022 Senate campaign and other witnesses with similar, contemporaneous knowledge about the alleged assault.
