Several big-name GOP lawmakers won't go to CPAC this year amid chairman Matt Schlapp's sexual assault scandal

• CPAC is typically a major opportunity for GOP politicians to boost their profile and give red-meat speeches.
• But many aren't going this year as chairman Matt Schlapp faces a $9.4 million sexual assault lawsuit.

The Conservative Political Action Conference kicked off on Wednesday just a few miles south of the Capitol, offering Republican lawmakers easy and quick access to what's historically been a major gathering of conservative activists and party faithful from around the country.

But despite that close proximity, several prominent Republicans are skipping the event this year, including potential presidential contenders like former Vice President Mike Pence and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Marco Rubio of Florida and Josh Hawley of Missouri are among the big-name Republican senators who attended the conference in Florida last year but are not scheduled to speak this year.

Both senators told Insider at the Capitol on Tuesday that they didn't even know if they'd been invited — and a spokeswoman for CPAC did not respond to Insider's request for comment asking whether they had.

"Yeah, I didn't even know if it's — is it here?" asked Rubio. "I don't know if I'm not going or not, I don't know what their schedule is."

American Conservative Union Chair Matt Schlapp, the chief organizer of the conference, is facing a $9.4 million sexual assault lawsuit from a former staffer for GOP Senate candidate Herschel Walker. The man, who Insider is declining to name in order to maintain his anonymity, has accused Schlapp of "fondling" his groin without his consent following a night of drinking during a campaign swing through Georgia in October.

"I will never forget the look on Matt's face as he did what he did," the staffer previously told Insider. "That's something that will be burned into my mind for the rest of my days."

The Washington Post also reported on Tuesday that Schlapp faces ongoing internal questions about his leadership of the American Conservative Union, stemming not just from the sexual misconduct allegations but from what one former staffer described as a "toxic" culture at the organization.

Despite those setbacks, several other prominent Republicans — including former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, and Sen. Rick Scott of Florida — are still scheduled to speak later this week. And former President Donald Trump will give the event's closing address on Saturday night.

'The allegations are unfortunate'

In February of last year, Hawley delivered a speech at CPAC Florida about the "goodness" of America where he triumphantly declared that he "wasn't backing down" after facing a year's worth of criticism for his decision to object to certain states' 2020 election results on January 6.

"Hello CPAC! Oh, it's great to see you," said Hawley at the opening of his speech.

This year, Hawley sounded a different note in a February interview with Insider, saying he was aware of the allegations against Schlapp while signaling he was undecided on whether he would attend.

On Tuesday, Hawley professed ignorance on whether he'd been invited to this year's conference, but told Insider that "we will get you the answer to that." His office did not respond to repeated follow-up requests on the matter.

Asked why he wouldn't attend, Hawley said he doesn't "go to all these events, and I'm not gonna go this year," demurring when asked if the allegation against Schlapp played a role in his decision.

"I'll just stick with: I'm not gonna go this year," the senator said. "We'll leave it at that."

Sen. Steve Daines of Montana, who would typically be a likely contender for a CPAC speaking slot as the chair of Senate Republicans' campaign arm, said he also didn't know if he'd received an invitation — and demurred when asked if he'd be willing to go if he had.

"You know, I'm focused on ensuring that we elect a Republican majority," said Daines. "So my time is spent on the United States Senate and getting a Republican majority."

Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, also not attending, visibly cringed when asked about CPAC. She said she didn't even know when the event was happening or whether she'd received an invitation. She appeared on a CPAC-sponsored program as recently as May 2022.

"When are they scheduled?" asked Ernst. She reiterated her prior concerns about the allegations against Schlapp.

"You know, it's a great organization," she said. "The allegations are unfortunate, and we hope that they get to the bottom of it."