Just days before his Senate confirmation hearing, Paul Ingrassia, Donald Trump’s nominee to head the Office of Special Counsel, is under fire for a series of deeply offensive and racially charged private messages.
In a group chat with Republican operatives, Ingrassia lashed out at multiple Black holidays, writing: “MLK Jr. was the 1960s George Floyd and his ‘holiday’ should be ended and tossed into the seventh circle of hell where it belongs.”
In another message, he declared: “No moulignon holidays … From kwanza [sic] to mlk jr day to black history month to Juneteenth … Every single one needs to be eviscerated.”
The messages, verified by POLITICO, include disturbing references to white supremacy. When another participant compared him to the Hitler Youth, Ingrassia replied: “I do have a Nazi streak in me from time to time, I will admit it.”
In a separate 2024 exchange, he dismissed a Black Republican campaign staffer for not showing enough reverence for the Founding Fathers. Ingrassia reportedly said, “We need competent white men in positions of leadership,” and “The founding fathers were wrong that all men are created equal.”
His attorney, Edward Andrew Paltzik, defended the texts as “satirical humor” mocking liberal stereotypes about MAGA supporters. However, the sheer volume and tone of the comments have left many questioning Ingrassia’s fitness for a role that handles sensitive workplace complaints and whistleblower protections.
Earlier this year, his nomination was already delayed due to concerns over antisemitic remarks. These newly surfaced texts, some including slurs and extreme rhetoric, are likely to further complicate his confirmation.
