FAMILY VALUES

Conservative Bigwig Matt Schlapp Accused of Groping Another Man at a Virginia Bar

The allegations against the influential American Conservative Union chairman came out on the first day of his organization’s annual CPAC conference.

Conservative bigwig Matt Schlapp was accused of grabbing another man’s genitals in a Virginia bar and restaurant, according to a sheriff’s office report obtained by local newspaper Rappahannock News.

The details of the alleged Feb. 8 incident were revealed on the first day of the Conservative Political Action Conference, an annual gathering of conservatives in Washington, D.C., hosted by the American Conservative Union, which Schlapp has helmed for more than a decade.

A report prepared by the Rappahannock County Sheriff’s Office, obtained by the local paper and political newsletter 24sight News, indicated that a customer at The Black Twig restaurant in Sperryville had “assaulted another customer” and was spotted leaving the scene in a silver BMW.

Schlapp, 57, was reportedly identified as the subject of the complaint. He and his wife own a weekend home in neighboring Madison County.

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Black Twig owner Daniel Gleason called the Sheriff’s Office at 11:10 p.m. on Feb. 8, according to the report, which stated that the “subject assaulted one person grabbing their genitals.”

Sheriff’s deputies in the Page, Madison, and Culpeper counties were issued a “be on the lookout” alert for Schlapp’s vehicle after he left the establishment, the report said.

Sheriff Connie Compton told Rappahannock News on Tuesday that the “suspect [was] never found” and the alleged victim declined to prosecute.

The Daily Beast has reached out to Schlapp, the Rappahannock County Sheriff’s Office, and The Black Twig for comment.

The allegations were first reported last week by independent journalist Yashar Ali, who cited six witnesses and the alleged victim.

This is not the first time Schlapp has faced accusations of sexual misconduct.

In 2023, the Daily Beast broke the story of then-Republican staffer Carlton Huffman, who accused Schlapp of groping his crotch during a drive back from an Atlanta bar. Schlapp’s lawyer Charlie Spies denied the allegation, calling it “false.”

Huffman later sued the powerful conservative lobbyist for battery, defamation, and conspiracy in January 2023, but dropped the lawsuit after Schlapp reportedly made an offer to settle.

“This anonymous complaint demonstrates the accuser’s real agenda, working in concert with [the] Daily Beast to attack and harm the Schlapp family,” Spies said in a statement at the time.

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In August 2023, The Washington Post reported that some CPAC board members and staffers were informed of other incidents involving Schlapp and two younger men.

Though Schlapp and CPAC did not respond to the Post’s requests for comment on those allegations, ACU executive committee member Matt Smith said they were “completely fabricated.”

CPAC, which dubs itself “the most influential gathering of conservatives in the world,” will run until Feb. 22.

Attendance has declined in recent years but the congregation still offers a peek into the heart of Donald Trump’s MAGA movement.

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