New York Republican leaders voted to dissolve the New York State Young Republican Club (NYSYR) after a Politico investigation revealed seven months of racist, anti-Semitic, and violent messages exchanged among members. The group’s website and social media pages were taken offline Friday morning, and GOP officials plan to reconstitute it under new leadership.
Messages obtained by Politico showed members praising Adolf Hitler, using racial slurs, and joking about rape and sexual violence. Among those named were Peter Giunta and Bobby Walker, who both held leadership roles within the group. Walker, who also worked on State Sen. Peter Oberacker’s campaign, apologized for his remarks but has resisted calls to resign.
Party leaders, including Nassau County GOP Chair Joe Cairo, condemned the behavior as “repugnant,” while Brooklyn GOP Chair Jesse Garcia called the participants “immature individuals.” A virtual meeting was scheduled to formally revoke the group’s charter.
Kansas Republicans disbanded a similar group earlier this week following related revelations. Although the response was swift and bipartisan, Vice President JD Vance dismissed the messages as “edgy jokes,” and Rep. Elise Stefanik labeled the Politico report a “hit piece.”
Reporter Jason Beeferman noted that the chats involved adults in their 20s and 30s who held leadership positions across several state organizations representing more than 15,000 members nationwide.
Sources:
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CBS 6 Albany – MBFC Rating
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