Paul Ingrassia, President Trump’s pick to lead the Office of Special Counsel, has pulled out of a Senate hearing on his nomination after allegations surfaced that he sent offensive text messages, including one where he reportedly conceded he has “a Nazi streak,” leading several GOP senators to back away from him.
Ingrassia wrote on X that he’s withdrawing from the Thursday morning hearing because “unfortunately I do not have enough Republican votes at this time.” He said he “will continue to serve President Trump and this administration to Make America Great Again.” He did not mention the text messages, which were published this week by Politico. Ingrassia has previously served as the White House’s liaison to the Department of Homeland Security.
The future of Ingrassia’s nomination is unclear. It’s not certain whether Ingrassia’s hearing before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee will be rescheduled.
Mr. Trump nominated the 30-year-old attorney to lead the Office of Special Counsel in May, calling him a “highly respected attorney, writer, and Constitutional Scholar.” The office — which handles whistleblower complaints and investigates misconduct involving the federal workforce — has lacked a Senate-confirmed leader since Mr. Trump fired former head Hampton Dellinger.
Ingrassia has faced bipartisan blowback since Politico reported Monday on incendiary texts that he allegedly sent in a group chat, including ones where he purportedly called Martin Luther King Jr. “the 1960s George Floyd” and said he has “a Nazi streak in me from time to time.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters he didn’t think Ingrassia will be confirmed, according to the Associated Press, after multiple Republican senators indicated that they would not support him.
“He’s not going to pass,” Thune said.
Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy told CBS News’ chief Washington correspondent Major Garrett on Tuesday that Ingrassia’s alleged texts are “disqualifying to me,” noting that Politico reported the messages were sent within the last year.
Ingrassia’s lawyer, Edward Paltzik, told CBS News, “We do not concede the authenticity of any of these purported messages,” citing the risk of manipulation by artificial intelligence.
He continued that even if the texts are real, “they clearly read as self-deprecating and satirical humor making fun of the fact that liberals outlandishly and routinely call MAGA supporters ‘Nazis.’ In reality, Mr. Ingrassia has incredible support from the Jewish community because Jews know that Mr. Ingrassia is the furthest thing from a Nazi.”
CBS News has reached out to the White House for comment.
Ingrassia has drawn controversy in the past, including for social media posts seemingly praising Russian President Vladimir Putin and calling for Jan. 6 to be made a national holiday. He also once criticized the group Turning Point USA for kicking out Nick Fuentes, who has a history of white nationalist and antisemitic comments, arguing conservatives should “allow for dissident voices.”
Politico has also reported on an allegation that Igrassia sexually harassed a coworker within the Trump administration. Paltzik said in a statement his client “has never harassed any coworkers — female or otherwise, sexually or otherwise — in connection with any employment.”
Even before Politico’s report on Ingrassia’s texts, GOP Sen. Thom Tillis had told media outlets that he did not support his nomination, citing his sympathy for Jan. 6 rioters.
