Matt Schlapp Made ‘Six-Figure’ Offer to Settle Sexual Battery Claims Against Him, Got Rejected: Report

AP Photo/John Raoux

American Conservative Union chairman Matt Schlapp reportedly tried earlier this year to settle the lawsuit he faces from a Republican strategist accusing him of sexual battery and defamation.

The Daily Beast reported that Schlapp proposed an offer “in the low six figures” to resolve the lawsuit brought against him and his wife by Carlton Huffman, a Republican strategist who worked on Herschel Walker’s failed Senate campaign. The story was based on multiple sources who told the Beast that the ACU “was not formally consulted” on the settlement negotiations “and did not vote on the offer ahead of time.”

Huffman reportedly rejected the offer from the Schlapps and “countered with a substantially higher sum.” The counterproposal was rejected by Schlapp, and Huffman’s suit seeks out $9.4 million in damages.

Schlapp has denied Huffman’s accusation, though separate claims have alleged that he made multiple unwanted physical advances toward others in the last few years. The Schlapp family’s publicist, Mark Corallo, denied making any settlement offers, telling the Beast, “We take seriously our professional conduct and would never discuss the details of confidential conversations between lawyers. But since it appears Mr. Huffman or his attorney have done so, let me set the record straight: There was no settlement offer. From the outset, Mr. and Mrs. Schlapp have been and remain prepared to go to trial and are confident of prevailing in court.”

The settlement report comes amid recurring questions about Schlapp’s transparency, the ACU’s handling of the accusations against him, and the concerns about how they’ve been using their finances. These concerns were brought to a flashpoint in recent days when Charlie Gerow, the vice chairman of the ACU’s board, announced his resignation while imploring the organization to do more to investigate the Schlapp accusations and their financial situation.

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