The recent leak of a Young Republicans’ group chat has caught the scrutiny of the White House. Officials reportedly confronted Politico regarding a State Department employee linked to the acquisition of the messages, while Vice President J.D. Vance noted that threats made by Democratic Virginia attorney general candidate Jay Jones were “1,000 times worse.”
According to “Politico,” excerpts from 2,900 pages of a Telegram group called RESTOREYR WAR ROOM were made public, showcasing offensive jokes about race, sexual assault, and even the Holocaust.
William Hendricks, Vice Chairman of the Kansas Young Republican Party, used racial slurs like “n-ga” and “n-goo” multiple times in the discussion. Bobby Walker, who was the vice chair for New York State Young Republicans, described rape as “epic,” while Peter Giunta, the then president, stated in a June chat, “Everyone who votes no will be sent to the gas chambers.”
Terms like “shithole,” “retard,” and “naga” appeared over 251 times in the reviewed messages, according to the paper.
Vermont Senator Samuel Douglas reportedly joked that women were confused for Indians because they “don’t bathe often,” while his wife, Brianna Douglas, a member of the Vermont Young Republican National Committee, allegedly quipped about Jews not being honest.
The leaked chat has prompted significant condemnation. The Young Republican National Federation (YRNF), with roughly 15,000 members, has seen calls for resignations from those involved in the chat. Some members have already faced job losses, as reported by Politico.In follow-up:
Peter Giunta lost his role as chief of staff to state Rep. Mike Riley, while Joe Marinho was let go from his position with the New York State Unified Court System.
Vermont’s Republican governor and state lawmakers have urged state Senator Sam Douglas to step down, and the Kansas Republican Party announced that the Kansas Young Republicans, led by Hendricks, would cease operations.
Before this article’s publication, Hendricks lost his job with Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, and Bobby Walker’s campaign offer for NY-19 was effectively withdrawn.
Vance criticized members of the chat for their disturbing humor while also referencing the “death wish” expressed by Jay Jones towards Republican congressmen and their families.
While appearing on a late-night show hosted by Charlie Kirk, the Vice President reinforced his stance. podcast, saying that someone very politically powerful, poised to become a major law enforcement official, who seeks political violence, is “1,000 times worse than what a group of kids says in a chat group, no matter how offensive.”
The situation is further complicated by accusations surrounding the identity of the person who leaked the group chat to the media, with multiple sources implicating Gavin Wax, current Trump administration official and former president of the New York Young Republican Club (NYYRC).
Interestingly, NYYRC is described as a “separate city-based group that opposes the state organization,” as noted by Politico.
Giunta claimed in a statement that the logs were obtained through extortion by individuals conspiring against him, asserting that he had been a staunch supporter of President Trump since 2016 yet faced betrayal from people in his administration like Gavin Wax.
Reports indicate that after a Republican leader submitted an affidavit to the White House Office of Political Affairs on October 7, officials questioned Wax regarding the leak, which occurred about a week prior to this article.
Sources suggested that Wax, who works for Under Secretary of State Darren Beatty, orchestrated the leak to remove a fellow Republican amidst internal discord.
Michael Bartels, the affiant, accused Wax of blackmail, claiming he was threatened with legal action until he provided the chat logs to Nathan Berger. Documents obtained by Nerve News indicate Wax pressured Bartels for the logs since August.
Bartels mentioned that Wax threatened his job security and warned of potential legal repercussions for an alleged breach of a non-disclosure agreement.
“My standing within the Young Republican Club of New York was directly jeopardized,” Bartels noted.
Before his LinkedIn profile was removed recently, Bartels was identified as a senior advisor in the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Office of General Counsel.
Just three days after Bartels’s affidavit submission, the White House received screenshots showing a conversation between Politico reporter Jason Bieferman and Wax, purportedly revealing details about the individuals in the group chat.
Officials from the White House asked Wax about the leaks, but he reportedly denied any wrongdoing, according to sources familiar with the matter.daily mail reported.
