A Republican strategist announced on Tuesday that he has dropped his sexual assault and defamation lawsuit against American Conservative Union (ACU) head Matt Schlapp.
Carlton Huffman, 40, who accused Mr. Schlapp of sexual battery and defamation while working for Hershell Walker’s 2022 Senate campaign, issued a statement and apology via a spokesperson for Mr. Schlapp.
“The claims made in my lawsuits were the result of a complete misunderstanding, and I regret that the lawsuit caused pain to the Schlapp family,” Mr. Huffman said, multiple outlets reported.
His statement referenced comments the Schlapps made about him after he filed his lawsuit. “The Schlapps have advised that the statements made about me were the result of a misunderstanding, which was regrettable.”
“Neither the Schlapps nor the ACU paid me anything to dismiss my claims against them,” he added.
Mr. Huffman sought $9.4 million in damages in his lawsuit against Mr. Schlapp, who chairs the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).
The political staffer had accused Mr. Schlapp of “fondling” his groin during a car ride back from a bar to a hotel during a campaign stop in October 2022. Mr. Huffman claimed that Mr. Schlapp then invited him up to his room, which he declined.
Mr. Huffman also alleged that the couple defamed him as part of a conspiracy to discredit him.
Mr. Schlapp maintained his innocence throughout. He and his wife, Mercedes, issued a statement following Mr. Huffman’s announcement on Tuesday.
“From the beginning, we asserted our innocence. Our family was attacked by a left-wing media that is focused on the destruction of conservatives regardless of the truth and the facts. But we emerge from this ordeal stronger as husband and wife, stronger as parents to our five daughters, stronger as friends to those who stood by us,” their statement reads.
The couple cited their Christian faith in helping them get through the experience.
“We also learned that the left is waging a relentless war against those of us who still hold fast to the principles of America’s founding and the liberty that has endured throughout our 248-year history,” the statement read. “The left no longer leaves disagreements on the political battlefield. Increasingly, they have gained a stranglehold on the mainstream media, social media, and the legal system which they use to try to silence, shame, and bankrupt Americans who have contrary, yet correct viewpoints.”
The couple noted that the experience sharpened their perspective on the U.S. political landscape and hardened their resolve to “stand our ground and fight or else the haters on the left will destroy every conservative and ultimately our nation.”
Mr. Huffman was later the subject of his own sexual assault allegations by two women, who were granted a restraining order. Mr. Huffman denied the allegations.
“In my 35 years of practicing law, I have never seen such a case of malicious piling on by non-parties such as that which Matt and Mercedes Schlapp suffered,” said Ben Chew, an attorney for the Schlapps, in a statement.
“We believe it ran the gamut from selective leaks from non-party insiders with chips on their shoulders to others who did not prove worthy of the Schlapps’ trust, and of course, certain agenda-driven media who appeared all too eager to destroy conservatives like the Schlapps.”
Mr. Chew hinted that the Schlapps may take legal action against the “non-parties.”
