EXCLUSIVE: NY Young Republicans in Hateful Group Chat were at Oberacker Congressional Launch

Bobby Walker Huddled with Senator, Peter Giunta Spoke with Campaign Consultant

By ERIC SANTOMAURO-STENZEL
SCHENEVUS

Two Young Republican leaders involved in a hate-filled online group chat were at State Senator Peter Oberacker’s congressional campaign launch on October 6 at the Schenevus fire station, eight days before Politico reported the messages on Tuesday. Bobby Walker, raised in Cooperstown, managed the small crowd and huddled with Oberacker and campaign consultants before and after the event. Another Republican operative in the group chat, Peter Giunta, was present and spoke with at least one Oberacker campaign consultant.

Politico’s investigation spanned thousands of private Telegram messages sent over more than seven months between leading Young Republicans across the country, prominently featuring New Yorkers including Walker and Giunta. The group chat reportedly had at least 251 appearances of epithets including “f—-t,” “retarded” and “n–ga,” with multiple members making statements about violence toward their perceived political opponents.

Politico reported that Walker had been in line to become Oberacker’s campaign manager, but would not be brought on in light of the messages. Reached by e-mail Thursday night for comment about Walker and Giunta’s attendance and involvement, an Oberacker campaign spokesperson told AllOtsego, without sharing their name, that the campaign “cut ties with Mr. Walker once the horrific and disgusting text messages came to our attention.”

The spokesperson wrote Walker “was never on this campaign’s payroll and was only a volunteer” and called for “all those involved in the group chat” to “immediately resign any positions held in the GOP. We must all condemn hateful and racist rhetoric in any form.”

This appears to be the campaign’s first reported call for those involved to resign. The campaign did not answer AllOtsego’s questions about Giunta’s presence at the event. 

Walker founded the Otsego County Young Republicans in 2015 before climbing the political ladder to become chair of the New York State Young Republicans this past August. From 2018 to 2020, a prior NYSYR news release said, Walker worked for local political consultancy The Casale Group. The group is advising Oberacker’s congressional campaign, employees Vince Casale and Lynn Krogh having staffed the Schenevus launch event.

Campaign finance records show Walker was employed by Oberacker’s 2020 first state senate campaign. The Casale Group also assisted that campaign, according to AllOtsego’s reporting at the time.

In 2023, Oberacker offered his “wholehearted endorsement” for Giunta’s candidacy for the Young Republican National Federation’s Northeast Regional Chair. Oberacker commended Giunta, then NYSYR chair, for “unwavering dedication to the principles of the Republican Party.” Oberacker described the Young Republicans as “instrumental” in his elections and other GOP victories across New York.

Giunta led the Staten Island Young Republican Club several years ago. He has been fired from his role as chief of staff for an assemblymember there, Michael Reilly, in response to the group messages.

Walker, at the time NYSYR’s vice chair, reportedly described rape as “epic.” He also reportedly mocked the late Senator John McCain for having been a prisoner of war, and joked about mismanaging NYSYR’s finances. Walker once wrote “Stay in the closet f—-t,” despite, according to Politico, being “the group’s main target for the same epithet.” Walker reportedly joked about bombing a YRNF convention, then wrote “Just kidding for our assigned FBI tracker.”

Giunta, at the time NYSYR’s chair, reportedly wrote that those who did not support his candidacy to become president of the YRNF are “going to the gas chamber.” He reportedly continued, “I’m going to create some of the greatest physiological torture methods known to man. We only want true believers.” He reportedly called opposing factions within the organization “fat stinky Jew” and “traitorous c—s who I will eradicate from the face of this planet.” Giunta reportedly responded to a message about basketball by writing “I’d go to the zoo if I wanted to watch monkey play ball.”

In comments to Politico, each apologized for the words and expressed concern that images of the chat may have been altered. They said the leaks were intended to cause harm.

In a Wednesday post on X, Oberacker called the group chat comments “offensive and completely unacceptable” without naming its participants. “I’m deeply disappointed and saddened by the inexcusable language used,” he wrote.

Representative Josh Riley, the Democrat Oberacker is challenging, told AllOtsego “The vile, racist, and antisemitic language in these messages is disgusting and the exact opposite of Upstate New York’s values. Anyone involved in spreading or excusing that kind of hate has no business in public office.”

Yesterday, Newsday reported that the New York Republican Party is planning to disband and reconstitute NYSYR. Both Walker and NYSYR appear to have deleted their social media accounts.