Young Republican Private Group Chat Members Fired After Comments Leaked

At least two members of a Young Republican group chat lost their jobs, and another faces calls to resign, after Politico published 2,900 pages of Telegram messages that allegedly had a series of controversial comments.

New York state Assemblyman Michael Reilly’s chief of staff, Peter Giunta, was fired after he allegedly wrote “I love Hitler” and threatened to send people to the “gas chamber” if they didn’t vote for him to be the chair of the Young Republican National Federation.

“The comments shared in the group chat that have been reported are extremely troubling and disappointing. They do not align with my values. As a result, Mr. Giunta’s assignment in my office has ended,” Reilly said in a statement to The Epoch Times.

Giunta told Politico: “I am so sorry to those offended by the insensitive and inexcusable language found within the more than 28,000 messages of a private group chat that I created during my campaign to lead the Young Republican National Federation.

“While I take complete responsibility, I have had no way of verifying their accuracy and am deeply concerned that the message logs in question may have been deceptively doctored.”

The Epoch Times was unable to reach Giunta for comment.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said that “there’s got to be consequences” for members who allegedly made the remarks.

“This is not one person saying they love Hitler,” the Democrat said during a press conference on Wednesday. “This is a whole lot of people saying things that are so disgusting and so abhorrent that everybody from the president on down should condemn them.”

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) echoed Hochul’s remarks.

“Too many Republicans seem willing to call out violent rhetoric only when it comes from the other side,” Schumer said on the Senate floor on Wednesday.

Other members of the chat, who were in Young Republican National Federation groups in New York, Vermont, Arizona, and Kansas, have also faced backlash after the Politico report.

Joseph Maligno, who identified as general counsel for the New York State Young Republicans, lost his job as an employee for the New York State Unified Court System (UCS) after allegedly making jokes about sending people to the “gas chambers.”

“Joseph Maligno is no longer a UCS employee,” state OCA spokesperson Al Baker confirmed to The Epoch Times in a statement.

Vermont state Sen. Sam Douglass, a member of the chat group who allegedly made controversial remarks about an Indian woman, was urged to resign by Vermont Gov. Phil Scott and Republican leaders in the state Senate and House on Oct. 14.

“The hateful statements made in this group chat are disgusting and unacceptable,” Scott wrote in a statement. “The vile, racist, bigoted, and antisemitic dialogue that has been reported is deeply disturbing. There is simply no excuse for it. Those involved should resign from their roles immediately and leave the Republican party.”

The Epoch Times has reached out to Douglass for comment.