The New York Young Republicans Club has filed a defamation lawsuit against its former press committee chairman, Lucian Wintrich, in a legal battle that highlights deepening divisions within the Republican Party over antisemitism and extremist figures.

The complaint, filed in New York Supreme Court, claims that the 37-year-old social media personality went on a “revenge” tour against the club after he was removed from his post amid a falling out over the group’s refusal to allow “certain media personalities” — including an avowed antisemite, Nick Fuentes — to attend its annual gala in December.

The club alleges that Mr. Wintrich violated the club’s non-disparagement and confidentiality agreements by publicly disparaging the organization on social media and to the press in retaliation for his ousting.

In a now-deleted post on X, Mr. Wintrich publicly criticized the club for barring Mr. Fuentes from the December fete, stating that “Nick had a paid-for seat — he was someone’s guest at their paid-for table. Those folks vetoed it. So a guest doesn’t even have the right to choose who sits at the table they spent 15k+ on.”

Mr. Wintrich also aired his grievances in an interview with Politico, expressing frustration that the dozens of individuals he had invited to the gala were “relegated to a distant corner by his fellow organizers.” He proclaimed that the gala was “the worst event they’ve ever thrown.”

His comments, the complaint alleges, caused the club to “suffer public embarrassment, harm to its reputation, and disapproval from some of the organization’s supporters.” The club’s leadership subsequently removed Mr. Wintrich from his post, citing his unprofessional behavior and violations of his non-disclosure agreement.

Mr. Wintrich responded by launching a “campaign for revenge” against the club, having “released confidential information, publicly insulted and ridiculed members, and publicly leveled knowingly false accusations of criminal conduct against the organization and its leadership,” the complaint alleges. 

One day after Mr. Wintrich’s ousting, the group claims that Mr. Wintrich secretly recorded a private member meeting and posted the video on his X account with a caption using vulgar language: “I gotta say, I’m really gonna miss these HIGHLY productive @NYYRC board meetings where we have obese chicks on camera driving through traffic while stuffing their face while folks say absolutely nothing for 3 hours in the background.”

Mr. Wintrich continued to belittle the club on X, branding the Young Republican’s attorney an “actual retard” and accusing the club’s president — who he likened to an “albino ginger” — of engaging in “obvious misconduct.” 

The complaint further alleges that Mr. Wintrich “rejected, and even mocked” the group’s efforts to stop him, which included issuing a cease and desist letter.

The club is seeking a total of $5 million from Mr. Wintrich for defamation and violating his NDA and is also asking the court to order Mr. Wintrich to delete his uncomplimentary posts. 

Mr. Wintrich responded to the lawsuit on X, claiming that he “simply asked to see the books and open up transparency as there were/are *obvious* conflicts of interest. The club, and conservatives as a whole, need to hold ourselves to the same standard we hold the left to.” He branded the lawsuit as “wild.” Mr. Wintrich had not yet responded to the Sun’s request for comment. 

The conflict reflects a widening divide within the Republican Party — in particular its newest members — over whether to embrace a faction of conspiratorial, and, at times, outwardly antisemitic, conservative commentators. This group includes Mr. Fuentes, a 27-year-old right-wing influencer known for his white supremacist and racist views, and podcaster Candace Owens who openly espouses antisemitic conspiracy theories about the Jewish community, including the canard that the Jews controlled the American slave trade.

Lines have been drawn between the Republicans who defend these individuals and those who argue that they do not belong in the party’s tent. Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson has emerged as a reliable ally, offering a friendly platform for antisemitic figures like Mr. Fuentes. On the other side stands the DailyWire founder, Ben Shapiro, who has urged the coalition to shun such individuals, contending that they pose a significant threat to the integrity of the party.

The party’s younger members have come into focus on this issue following a leak in October of racist and antisemitic messages from a group chat between Young Republican chapter leaders. The New York Young Republicans Club has distanced itself from its state-wide counterpart, the New York State Young Republicans, which was implicated in the leak.

Additionally, the worrisome views of the coalition’s newest members was put on display in a recent survey by the Manhattan Institute. The survey found that the new cohort of voters are more likely than their veteran counterparts to report “openly racist or antisemitic views and express potential support for political violence.”