Embattled Office of Special Counsel nominee Paul Ingrassia reportedly joked about harboring “a Nazi streak” and raged against holidays celebrating African Americans, including Martin Luther King Jr., in a text message exchange with other Republicans.
Ingrassia, who is scheduled to make his case to lead the Office of Special Counsel in the Senate Thursday, also appeared to use an Italian slur for Black people and denigrated Indians and Chinese people in a text exchanged viewed by Politico. The texts cited in the report happened in 2023 and 2024.
“MLK Jr. was the 1960s George Floyd and his ‘holiday’ should be ended and tossed into the seventh circle of hell where it belongs,” Ingrassia allegedly suggested in January 2024.
He further called for “Kwanzaa, Black History Month and Juneteenth” to be “eviscerated.”
Ingrassia’s lawyer wouldn’t confirm the authenticity of the texts that he suggested could’ve been manipulated and lacked context. Politico said it confirmed the exchange with two of the six people involved. Some of the participants warned Ingrassia that he was coming across as a white nationalist, to which he replied: “I do have a Nazi streak in me from time to time, I will admit it.”
Ingrassia’s lawyer argued his client isn’t a Nazi and has support from the Jewish community.
When discussing former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, Ingrassia reportedly warned: “Never trust a chinaman or Indian.”
Several of his texts appeared to promote white supremacy, including a February 2024 call for competent white men to be in leadership positions.
“The founding fathers were wrong that all men are created equal … We need to reject that part of our heritage,” he’s said to have texted.
Politico reported earlier this month that Ingrassia was accused of sexually harassing a female colleague. His lawyer dismissed that allegation as a “fairytale.”
Trump nominated the 30-year-old Fordham University and Cornell Law School graduate in June. He currently serves as a White House liaison to U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
