The newly-nominated lead for the Office of the Special Counsel in the Donald Trump administration, Paul Ingrassia, has come under fire over remarks he purportedly made in a Republican group chat.
POLITICO published a report Monday with screenshots of the alleged chat where Ingrassia reportedly said that the Martin Luther King Jr holiday should be abolished and that he has "a Nazi streak."
The report noted that the comments were made in a chain on texts on a group chat with "a group of fellow Republicans." It was not immediately clear who the other participants were, but POLITICO revealed that Paul Ingrassia allegedly made a series of controversial comments there.
Who's Behind The Leak? What We Know
POLITICO noted in the report that two sources who were part of the group came forward and spoke to the outlet, and one of them reportedly provided them with the screenshots which were published in the report. The outlet stated that they were able to independently verify the phone number to which the controversial remarks have been linked as of Paul Ingrassia.
Ingrassia's nomination, approved by Trump, is now pending Senate approval. Per POLITICO, one of the sources said that they came forward as whistleblower because they want “the government to be staffed with experienced people who are taken seriously.” The outlet added that the second source has since flipped on the claims about Ingrassia, but "did confirm the discussions took place."
{{/usCountry}}Ingrassia's nomination, approved by Trump, is now pending Senate approval. Per POLITICO, one of the sources said that they came forward as whistleblower because they want “the government to be staffed with experienced people who are taken seriously.” The outlet added that the second source has since flipped on the claims about Ingrassia, but "did confirm the discussions took place."
{{/usCountry}}Hindustan Times cannot independently verify the authenticity of the screenshots published.
What Paul Ingrassia Allegedly Said
Paul Ingrassia made a series of remarks on the Martin Luther King Jr holiday and Nazism which sparked a controversy. So far, neither Ingrassia, nor the Trump administration responded to the allegations.
They have also not refuted or confirmed the claims made in the report. Nonetheless, social media has erupted, with allegations of racism against Ingrassia as he is set for his Senate confirmation.
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Regarding the MLK Jr. holiday, Paul Ingrassia reportedly said: "MLK Jr/s was the 1960s George Floyd and his holiday should be tossed into the seventh circle of hell where it belongs."
One of the participants in the chat says in May 2024: "Paul belongs in the Hitler Youth with Ubergruppenfuhrer Steve Bannon." Ubergruppenfuhrer is a paramilitary rank in Nazi Germany.
Responding to it, Ingrassia reportedly said: "I do have a Nazi streak in me from time to time, I will admit it."
Then, in January 2025, he reportedly made a "racist" remark about Vivek Ramaswamy - the Indian-American Republican from Ohio. "Never trust a chinaman or Indian. NEVER," he reportedly said.
Then, in February 2024, he reportedly wrote: "We need competent white men in positions of leadership. … The founding fathers were wrong that all men are created equal … We need to reject that part of our heritage”