Paul Ingrassia, US President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Office of Special Counsel (OSC), has withdrawn his candidacy following reports of racist and inflammatory messages he allegedly sent in a private group chat, CNN reported.
Two White House officials confirmed Tuesday that Ingrassia is no longer the nominee.
In a post Tuesday evening, Ingrassia announced his withdrawal, stating, “Unfortunately I do not have enough Republican votes at this time.” He added that he appreciated the “overwhelming support” he received and vowed to “continue to serve President Trump and this administration to Make America Great Again!”
His announcement came hours after Senate Majority Leader John Thune indicated the White House would likely pull the nomination. “I think they’ll have something official to say about that,” Thune told reporters.
Ingrassia, who was nominated in May to lead the independent agency responsible for protecting federal whistleblowers, was scheduled to appear before the Senate Homeland Security Committee on Thursday. However, Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) had already declared his opposition, saying Monday night, “No, I do not support him.” With Scott’s vote and expected Democratic opposition, the nomination was effectively doomed.
The controversy erupted after Politico published messages allegedly sent by Ingrassia, in which he claimed to have “a Nazi streak” and said the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday should be “tossed into the seventh circle of hell.”
Ingrassia’s attorney, Edward Andrew Paltzik, questioned the authenticity of the texts but argued that even if genuine, they were satirical. “They clearly read as self-deprecating and satirical humor making fun of the fact that liberals outlandishly and routinely call MAGA supporters ‘Nazis,’” he said.
Paltzik also claimed that “Mr. Ingrassia has incredible support from the Jewish community,” and accused anonymous actors of attempting to sabotage his client’s nomination.
Ingrassia, who was admitted to the bar only last year, previously interned at the White House during Trump’s first term. He later served briefly as a liaison at the Justice Department before being reassigned to the Department of Homeland Security.
His nomination had already drawn scrutiny due to past statements promoting conspiracy theories, calls for martial law after the 2020 election, and harsh anti-Israel rhetoric.