Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Monday he hopes the White House withdraws Paul Ingrassia’s Office of Special Counsel nomination, after POLITICO reported on texts that showed him making racist remarks to fellow Republicans.
“He’s not gonna pass,” the South Dakota Republican told reporters. Ingrassia is scheduled to testify on his nomination Thursday before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
At least three other Republicans are signaling they will oppose Ingrassia’s confirmation: Sens. Rick Scott of Florida, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and James Lankford of Oklahoma.
“I’m not supporting him,” Scott said. “I can’t imagine how anybody can be antisemitic in this country. It’s wrong.”
“I have tons of questions for him,” Lankford said, adding he “can’t imagine supporting that.”
Ingrassia can lose only three Republicans before Vice President JD Vance is called in to break a tie for confirmation, assuming all Democrats vote in opposition.
POLITICO reported Monday on a text chat that showedIngrassia saying the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday should be “tossed into the seventh circle of hell” and that he has “a Nazi streak.” A lawyer for Ingrassia did not confirm the texts were authentic and said they “could be manipulated or are being provided with material context omitted.”
Earlier this month, POLITICO separately reported that Ingrassia, the White House liaison to the Department of Homeland Security, was investigated for harassment involving a lower-ranking colleague. The colleague filed a complaint against him before retracting it. Ingrassia’s attorney denied the allegations.
A spokesperson for Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), chair of the Senate Homeland panel, referred questions to the White House about what would come next for the nominee. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Diana Nerozzi contributed to this report.
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