Paul Ingrassia, President Donald Trump’s embattled nominee to steer the Office of Special Counsel, misplaced the support of the principle Jewish group backing his nomination on Tuesday after a brand new report revealed that he despatched racist and antisemitic textual content messages.
The textual content messages, obtained by Politico, allegedly included Ingrassia saying he has “a Nazi streak,” and arguing that Martin Luther King Jr. Day “should be ended and tossed into the seventh circle of hell where it belongs.” Ingrassia additionally reportedly used racial slurs towards Black and Asian Americans.
On Tuesday, Morton Klein, president of the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA), which had beforehand backed his nomination, informed NCS in an announcement, “If these text revelations are accurate, I have no choice but to immediately withdraw my support. In this time of a surge and growing antisemitism, it is incumbent upon all of us to fight even any hint of antisemitism or racism.”
The transfer leaves the Trump administration’s nominee — already going through collapsing Senate support after a series of NCS KFile experiences detailed his historical past of inflammatory and conspiratorial statements — with virtually no Jewish teams backing his candidacy. The administration had beforehand defended Ingrassia’s ties to outstanding White nationalist and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes by claiming he had the backing of many Jewish organizations – a declare disputed by a number of they listed.
Ingrassia is about to testify earlier than the Senate Homeland Security Committee this week for his affirmation listening to, however Republican senators are urging the White House to withdraw the nomination. Majority Leader John Thune mentioned Monday night that “(Ingrassia)’s not going to pass,” whereas Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, a Republican on the panel, has mentioned he’ll vote towards advancing the nomination.
Ingrassia didn’t return a request for remark. His legal professional on Monday steered to Politico that the newly reported texts may have been “manipulated” and, if genuine, could have been meant satirically. His legal professional didn’t reply to an inquiry from NCS on Tuesday.
Ingrassia, 30, was nominated in May to go the unbiased company that protects federal whistleblowers and enforces civil-service legal guidelines. The Office of Special Counsel, created after the Watergate scandal about 50 years in the past, is often headed by civil servants with a protracted document of managerial or prosecutorial expertise for the roughly 110-person workplace.
Ingrassia was admitted to the bar in 2024 and rose to prominence by writing a pro-Trump Substack generally shared by Trump on TruthSocial. This 12 months, Ingrassia first labored as a White House liaison on the Department of Justice earlier than reportedly being pushed out and reassigned to the Department of Homeland Security.
His document had come underneath intense scrutiny after experiences on previous feedback by KFile and others. His podcast’s social media account referred to as for “martial law” to maintain Trump in energy after the 2020 election. On his private X account, he shared conspiracy theories in regards to the September 11, 2001, terrorist assaults and described “straight White men” as essentially the most clever demographic group who must be prioritized in training.
Ingrassia attended a 2024 rally for Fuentes — which Ingrassia later mentioned was unintended — and has publicly defended Fuentes’ proper to submit on-line, in addition to far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones after the Sandy Hook verdict, writing “WE ALL STAND WITH ALEX JONES!!”
Ingrassia additionally referred to as the October 7, 2023, Hamas assault on Israel a “psyop” meant to distract from Columbus Day, referred to former Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley as an “insufferable b*tch,” and his podcast repeatedly amplified Fuentes’ posts and rhetoric on-line.
The Trump administration had beforehand pointed to Klein and the ZOA as half of a coalition of “many Jewish groups” supporting Ingrassia — a claim that was disputed by some of the groups listed as backing his nomination.
The administration had beforehand mentioned he had the support of a group referred to as “The Holocaust Council,” — a non-existent entity they later clarified meant the United States Holocaust Memorial Council, the board of trustees for the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.
But that group is a 501(c)(3) non-profit group, and the chair of the board of trustees informed NCS in July they don’t endorse nominees.
Another group the White House beforehand mentioned supported his nomination, the Israeli Defense and Security Forum (IDSF), beforehand informed NCS they weren’t backing him.
Ingrassia’s lawyer, Edward Andrew Paltzik, questioned the legitimacy of the newest texts reported by Politico.
“Looks like these texts could be manipulated or are being provided with material context omitted. However, arguendo, even if the texts are authentic, they clearly read as self-deprecating and satirical humor making fun of the fact that liberals outlandishly and routinely call MAGA supporters ‘Nazis,’” he mentioned in an announcement to Politico.
“In reality, Mr. Ingrassia has incredible support from the Jewish community because Jews know that Mr. Ingrassia is the furthest thing from a Nazi.”