Khaberni - The "Politico" newspaper reported that it had reviewed text messages alleging that Paul Ingrasia, President Donald Trump's controversial nominee for the head of the "Special Counsel's Office," had made several offensive and racist statements.
"Politico" obtained Ingrasia's messages from a chat group including Republican activists and influencers, showing several comments he made, including his statement that "Martin Luther King Jr. was the 1960s version of George Floyd, and his holiday should end and be thrown into the seventh circle of hell, where it belongs."
Furthermore, the messages revealed insults directed by Ingrasia towards Black people, where he wrote: "No holidays for [offensive word]... from Kwanzaa to Martin Luther King Jr. Day to Black History Month to Juneteenth. Every single one of them must be eliminated."
"Politico" said it interviewed two people from the group, one of whom still retained all the messages.
One message showed Ingrasia mocking a new employee in Trump's Georgia campaign office, who was working on outreach to minority voters, saying she did not show "enough respect" for the white founding fathers. One participant mockingly replied: "Paul belongs to the Hitler Youth with Obergruppenführer Steve Bannon," referring to a military rank in Nazi Germany, to which Ingrasia responded: "I admit to having a Nazi streak from time to time."
According to the conversation, Ingrasia also wrote in January 2024 about former Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, saying: "Never trust a Chinese or Indian... ever!" In other messages, he stated: "Black people behave this way because it's their nature, you can't change them." He added: "Proof: all of Africa is a cesspool, and it will always remain so."
In response, Ingrasia's lawyer, Edward Andrew Baltzick, countered the accusations, stating that some messages were meant to "mock liberals," without confirming their authenticity.
In a subsequent statement to the newspaper, he added: "It appears these messages may have been manipulated or taken out of their full context. However, even if they were real, they clearly carry a sarcastic tone mocking the idea that liberals constantly and exaggeratedly describe Trump supporters (MAGA) as Nazis." He added: "In fact, Mr. Ingrasia has significant support from the Jewish community, as they know he is far from being a Nazi."
The newspaper also mentioned that the lawyer sent a second statement days later, saying that "unknown opponents" were trying to damage his client, continuing: "In this era dominated by artificial intelligence technologies, it is very difficult to verify the authenticity of the alleged leaked messages, which may be fake, altered, or taken out of context. But certainly, there are people hiding behind anonymity to pursue their hidden agendas to harm Mr. Ingrasia at any cost. We do not recognize the authenticity of any of these messages."
The importance of the leaks These leaks come at a time when Ingrasia is under the spotlight due to the controversy sparked by Trump's nomination of him to head the "Special Counsel's Office," the agency responsible for investigating complaints of corruption and discrimination among federal employees.
Ingrasia, aged 30, had previously been investigated internally at the Department of Homeland Security following a sexual harassment complaint against him, but it was later withdrawn, and his lawyer denied the accusations, according to "Politico."
In July of last year, Republican members of the Senate postponed his hearing session, citing "some statements related to anti-Semitism."
The newspaper says that Ingrasia's comments in these private conversations, along with his public stances and statements, worsen his situation, especially since he had connections with extremist right-wing activist Nick Fuentes, and Andrew Tate, the right-wing influencer charged with rape and human trafficking in the UK.
Previous positions by Ingrasia And in June 2024, Ingrasia criticized the expulsion of extremist right-wing activist Nick Fuentes from an event for the organization Turning Point USA, describing the decision as terrible. He also described the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a psychological misdirection (psyop) a week after the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.
In March 2023, he stated that education should focus on elevating the IQ level of the community's high-IQ segment, primarily straight white men.
And in December of the same year, he wrote on the platform "X": "Exceptional white men are not only the builders of Western civilization, but they are also the most capable of appreciating its fruits."
Personality change of Ingrasia The newspaper quotes one participant in the leaked conversation, who has known Ingrasia for years, saying that his personality has changed a lot in recent years, as he "moved from a law student interested in conservative politics to a fame-obsessed and Trump-loyal fanatic."
The source explained that the shift in his personality began after graduating from Cornell Law School and working at a law firm representing Andrew Tate, and he appeared several times on the podcast "War Room" with former Trump political advisor Steve Bannon.
They added: "He was too young and immature to handle the fame. It was like giving an eighteen-year-old millions of dollars and telling him: do whatever you want."
"Politico" also reported that some group members advised him to tone down his rhetoric, especially if he wanted a future working in the upcoming Trump administration, but he ignored their advice, saying: "Who are you to advise me? I post an article on Substack, and the president himself reposts it!"
