Republican leaders in New York voted on Friday to disband the state’s young Republican group after racist texts among group members became public.
The vote came days after Politico published the messages and reported on how leaders of the New York State Young Republicans and young Republicans in other states had engaged in exchanges that included racist and antisemitic comments. Some participants spoke of raping their political enemies and placing them in gas chambers.
Several members of the New York State Young Republicans — including a recent chair and vice chair — were part of the chat and made offensive comments sent over Telegram.
“The Young Republicans was already grossly mismanaged, and vile language of the sort made in the group chat has no place in our party or its subsidiary organizations.” Edward F. Cox, New York’s Republican Party chairman, said in a written statement.
One state Republican official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the effort to disband the group, which was first reported by Newsday, would allow for a fresh start. By eliminating the group’s charter, the official said, party leaders can reconstitute it and bring in new leadership.
Peter Giunta, who participated in the chats and was previously the state’s group’s president, lost his job as chief of staff to a state assemblyman this week. Three other group members who took part in the chats lost their jobs as well.
Prominent officials from both parties denounced the chats, which The New York Times has not seen.
“Everyone from the president down must forcefully condemn this,” Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, said on social media in response to Vice President JD Vance’s refusal to denounce the language.
“Too many Republicans seem willing to call out violent rhetoric only when it comes from the other side,” Senator Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader, said on Wednesday. “But these same Republicans never seem willing to denounce it when it comes from their own ranks, and that’s dangerous..”
Two prominent New York Republicans, Representatives Elise Stefanik and Mike Lawler, described the messages as reprehensible, although Ms. Stefanik also characterized the Politico article as a “hit piece.”
The Young Republican National Federation’s executive board, which includes thousands of members from 18 to 40, called the messages “vile and inexcusable” and said that “those involved must immediately resign.”
“Moving forward, the New York State Young Republicans shall be suspended and it is the hope of the New York Republican State Committee that it can be reconstituted at a later date,” Mr. Cox wrote in a letter to the national organization notifying them of the change.
Republican leaders in Kansas had previously disbanded the state’s young Republicans group.
Even before the messages became public, New York’s young Republican group was grappling with infighting and budget problems. The chapter had missed submitting numerous financial filings, according to Politico, owed thousands of dollars in unpaid bills.
Benjamin Oreskes is a reporter covering New York State politics and government for The Times.
Nicholas Fandos is a Times reporter covering New York politics and government.
The post After Racist Texts, New York G.O.P. Disbands Young Republican Group appeared first on New York Times.
