According to multiple sources with firsthand knowledge, the Republican operative who dropped his sexual assault lawsuit against conservative bigwig Matt Schlapp only did so after receiving a $480,000 payoff through the American Conservative Union's insurer. The American Conservative Union (ACU) organizes the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), and Schlapp serves as its chair.
Former Herschel Walker staffer Carlton Huffman said Schlapp allegedly fondled him without his consent as he drove him to his hotel following a Walker campaign event on Oct. 19, 2022. Recalling the incident last year, Hoffman said Schlapp “grabbed my junk and pummeled it at length.” (RELATED: Fox News Removes Matt and Mercedes Schlapp From Its Airwaves)
Following the alleged payoff, a spokesman from Schlapp released a statement on Tuesday from Huffman reportedly saying that his claims were “the result of a complete misunderstanding.”
“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,” it read, according to Schlapp's spokesman. “The Schlapps have advised that the statements made about me were the result of a misunderstanding, which was regrettable.”
It continued: “Neither the Schlapps nor the ACU paid me anything to dismiss my claims against them.” (RELATED: Longtime ACU/CPAC Leader David Keene Speaks Out After Vice Chair's Resignation)
However, the story didn't end there, as CNN reported on Wednesday:
But multiple sources familiar with the allegations and legal proceedings told CNN that Huffman did, in fact, receive a financial settlement via an insurance company.
When reached for comment, Huffman told CNN, “I am only legally allowed to say five words, and that is ‘We have resolved our differences.' Those are the only five words that I'm legally allowed to say.”
His lawyer, Tim Hyland, also declined to comment on any financial settlement terms or other details of the case, saying only, “The parties have resolved their differences.”
Asked whether there had been a settlement, the spokesman for Schlapp's legal team, Mark Corallo, told CNN, “We refer you to Mr. Huffman's statement.”
Sources told CNN that hours after the news broke, Huffman's counsel notified Schlapp's legal team that his statements celebrating the settlement's resolution appeared to violate the secret agreement's non-disparagement clause. These included social media posts by Schlapp that claimed he was exonerated and that Huffman had apologized. The posts have been deleted.
Huffman originally sought $9.4 million in damages for sexual battery, defamation and conspiracy to impugn his character. In an interview with The Washington Post, Huffman provided text, phone logs and video recordings that corroborated his claims he shared what happened to him almost immediately. Three members of the Walker campaign and six of Huffman's family and friends said that he told them of the alleged incident within 24 hours.
An August 2023 report, including interviews with multiple sources, stated that Schlapp secretly tried to settle with Huffman. Huffman countered with a substantially higher amount Schlapp wouldn't entertain. Another report at the time alleged that Schlapp never consulted the ACU board about the settlement offer, let alone requested a vote.
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