Peter Giunta, who was the President of NY State Young Republicans Club, reportedly resigned weeks before the group chat scandal happened. The resignation came around the same time when the group was accused of now paying a bill of over $14K for a Christmas party that happened two years ago.
According to reports by Politico, the allegations were brought by a man who then worked for the venue. The issues stemmed from a party that was held in December 2023 at the National Women’s Republican Club. A member of the National Women’s Republican Club claimed that Giunta paid the deposit but did not pay the rest of the amount.
The member, who wanted to stay anonymous said,
"He paid a deposit, and we never got the rest of the money, and we didn't go after him because it’s a shame that he's a Republican and he doesn't pay. He's acting like a goddamn Democrat, takes everybody's money and spends it, but doesn't pay his bills."
The bill for the "NYSYR Holiday Party" was addressed to Peter Giunta's girlfriend, Anne Kaykaty. According to Politico, at the time, Anne was serving on the boards of both the New York State Young Republicans and the National Women’s Republican Club. At the time, Peter wasn't sued because the incident was thought to be a "disgrace."
Rather, letters were sent to him requesting him to pay the remaining amount. However, he allegedly kept delaying the process and eventually avoided paying.
Politico shared details about the particular Christmas party that was organized back in 2023, whose bills Peter Giunta reportedly failed to pay. The outlet shared that the party included a "3-course plated dinner" and an open bar along with assorted appetizers.
While Playbook was investigating the matter and the allegations, a tweet was posted by conservative influencer and former Trump campaign staffer Tiffany Savage. In a since-removed tweet, Tiffany addressed Peter and wrote,
"You stiffed Redneck Riviera for $7,000 when you used their bar for your YR party while running for chair. That's John Rich's place, a brand that's built on patriotism and honesty. You ran on 'integrity' while robbing a patriotic Nashville business."
Giunta later responded to the allegations and called them a "sad and pathetic attempt at a political hit job." For the unversed, Peter Giunta is one of the GOP leaders who have come under scrutiny since the chat messages got leaked and an article sharing the same was published. Apart from Giunta, William Hendrix is another name that has come up amid the drama.
The group chat included some very questionable and offensive remarks, ranging from using racial slurs to cracking jokes about slavery and gas chambers. In some of the messages, the members even praised Hitler.
While Giunta issued an apology for the remarks, he also called the scandal a "coordinated year-long character assassination." In his statement, he further said that he could not comment on the authenticity of the leaked messages.
The scandal has garnered massive scrutiny from people, including lawmakers. Vice President JD Vance also bashed the members for such messages. Many Republican politicians, including New York Rep. Elise Stefanik and Vermont Gov. Phil Scott have condemned the offensive remarks.
TOPICS: Peter Giunta, Message leak, Young Republicans