We have found the line! It’s easy to imagine in 2025 that there is no scandal too great to stop a Trump nominee but, well, there is such a thing as too much scandal. And Paul Ingrassia has found that threshold!
The 2022 Cornell Law grad was nominated to lead the Office of Special Counsel and the nom survived the alleged links to antisemitic extremists and the sexual harassment investigation, but the racist texts were simply a bridge too far for Senate Republicans. Yesterday, Ingrassia posted on social media, “I will be withdrawing myself from Thursday’s HSGAC hearing to lead the Office of Special Counsel because unfortunately I do not have enough Republican votes at this time. I appreciate the overwhelming support that I have received throughout this process and will continue to serve President Trump and this administration to Make America Great Again!” And a White House official said, “He’s no longer being nominated.”
Earlier this week, POLITICO reported on a right-wing group chat where Ingrassia wrote, “MLK Jr. was the 1960s George Floyd and his ‘holiday’ should be ended and tossed into the seventh circle of hell where it belongs.” And, “No moulignon holidays … From kwanza [sic] to mlk jr day to black history month to Juneteenth,” then added: “Every single one needs to be eviscerated.”
And when one member of the chat said, “Paul belongs in the Hitler Youth with Ubergruppenfuhrer Steve Bannon,” Ingrassia agreed. “I do have a Nazi streak in me from time to time, I will admit it,” Ingrassia responded. When called out as a “white nationalist” and “scumbag” on the chat Ingrassia didn’t back down. “Nah it’s fine … Don’t be a boomer … I don’t mind being a scumbag from time to time,” he replied.
After reports of the offensive text chain broke, at least four Republican senators including John Thune, Rick Scott, and Ron Johnson pulled their support of Ingrassia’s nomination.
Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, host of The Jabot podcast, and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter @Kathryn1 or Mastodon @Kathryn1@mastodon.social.
The post Office Of Special Counsel’s Nomination Pulled After Racist Text Scandal appeared first on Above the Law.
We have found the line! It’s easy to imagine in 2025 that there is no scandal too great to stop a Trump nominee but, well, there is such a thing as too much scandal. And Paul Ingrassia has found that threshold!
The 2022 Cornell Law grad was nominated to lead the Office of Special Counsel and the nom survived the alleged links to antisemitic extremists and the sexual harassment investigation, but the racist texts were simply a bridge too far for Senate Republicans. Yesterday, Ingrassia posted on social media, “I will be withdrawing myself from Thursday’s HSGAC hearing to lead the Office of Special Counsel because unfortunately I do not have enough Republican votes at this time. I appreciate the overwhelming support that I have received throughout this process and will continue to serve President Trump and this administration to Make America Great Again!” And a White House official said, “He’s no longer being nominated.”
Earlier this week, POLITICO reported on a right-wing group chat where Ingrassia wrote, “MLK Jr. was the 1960s George Floyd and his ‘holiday’ should be ended and tossed into the seventh circle of hell where it belongs.” And, “No moulignon holidays … From kwanza [sic] to mlk jr day to black history month to Juneteenth,” then added: “Every single one needs to be eviscerated.”
And when one member of the chat said, “Paul belongs in the Hitler Youth with Ubergruppenfuhrer Steve Bannon,” Ingrassia agreed. “I do have a Nazi streak in me from time to time, I will admit it,” Ingrassia responded. When called out as a “white nationalist” and “scumbag” on the chat Ingrassia didn’t back down. “Nah it’s fine … Don’t be a boomer … I don’t mind being a scumbag from time to time,” he replied.
After reports of the offensive text chain broke, at least four Republican senators including John Thune, Rick Scott, and Ron Johnson pulled their support of Ingrassia’s nomination.
Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, host of The Jabot podcast, and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter @Kathryn1 or Mastodon @[email protected].
