A bitter dispute between conservative activist Lucian Wintrich and the New York Young Republican Club has escalated into a multimillion-dollar legal fight following Wintrich’s public criticism of the organization and its leadership.
Wintrich, 38, is facing a defamation lawsuit after describing the NYYRC’s 2025 annual gala as “the worst event they’ve ever thrown,” according to a complaint filed on behalf of the organization. He is also accused of breaching a contract and violating a non-disclosure agreement.
The amended complaint seeks as much as $6 million from Wintrich, a former White House correspondent who gained prominence in conservative circles and previously created the pro-Trump “Twinks4Trump” art project.
Wintrich denies that his statements were defamatory and is fighting the lawsuit with attorney Mackenna White of Bailen Law.
The feud traces back to Wintrich’s dissatisfaction with the NYYRC gala, including his allegation that tables purchased by attendees were later resold.
The Republican club denies that allegation. NYYRC attorney Mark Luccarelli told the Daily Mail that the claim was not “remotely true.”
Wintrich was also reportedly unhappy with some of the people who attended the gala, including influencer Empath Chan.
Days after Wintrich publicly criticized the event, he received a cease-and-desist letter directing him to stop making disparaging statements about the gala. He was also removed from his volunteer position as the club’s press chairman.
Rather than ending the dispute, the move fueled an increasingly personal war of words.
Wintrich subsequently published multiple social media posts mocking members of the organization and launched personal attacks against its leadership.
NYYRC President Stefano Forte became one of Wintrich’s primary targets.
Wintrich called Forte an “idiot” and mocked his fashion choices as “Long Island pimp clothing,” while accusing the club president of using the organization to pursue a personal vendetta.
The fight later moved beyond social media.
When the NYYRC held its America 250 Freedom Mixer in July, Wintrich arranged for an LED billboard truck to park directly outside the event.
The truck displayed satirical images targeting Forte along with material mocking the club’s merchandise and logo.
The lawsuit also targets substantially more serious accusations Wintrich allegedly made concerning the organization’s finances.
According to the club’s civil complaint, Wintrich accused the NYYRC under Forte’s leadership of directing 15 percent of donations to a company that then “paid out” Forte.
The NYYRC categorically denies that accusation and identifies it as another allegedly false and defamatory statement in its lawsuit.
Luccarelli told the Daily Mail that allegations of the organization engaging in “hundreds-of-thousands of dollars worth of donor fraud” were “invented from thin air.”
“This suit would be entirely unnecessary if not for the false allegations of extremely serious criminal conduct,” Luccarelli said.
The club’s attorney also challenged Wintrich’s alleged assertion that he reported the purported financial misconduct to the New York Attorney General’s Office and that authorities subsequently opened an investigation, per the Daily Mail.
Luccarelli said that if Wintrich maintains the accusations are true, he could provide information identifying the attorney who purportedly handled the investigation. Luccarelli said confirmation of such an investigation would lead the club to voluntarily withdraw its lawsuit.
Wintrich, meanwhile, is preparing to fight back.
He told the Daily Mail that he intends to pursue counterclaims and sue Forte directly, arguing that the litigation has caused personal and professional harm.
“It’s gonna be a little Old Testament. Eye for an eye. But I will still have my eye,” Wintrich said.
The legal battle comes as Wintrich is pursuing a congressional campaign in New York’s 12th Congressional District. He is registered with Ballotpedia as an independent candidate and says the lawsuit is distracting from his campaign.
The feud is also unfolding as the NYYRC deals with separate controversy involving its former treasurer, Nicholas T. Rafael Jr.
New York Magazine reported last month that Rafael was linked to antisemitic posts, anti-gay slurs and a photograph appearing to show him performing a Nazi salute. Rafael denied that the account belonged to him and said the photograph was not authentic, while the club placed him on leave and denied any association with the account.
Wintrich is now planning another move in his fight with his former club: a competing end-of-year gala dubbed the “Blacklist Ball.”
He claimed journalist Matt Drudge had agreed to serve as master of ceremonies for the event, but Drudge denied any involvement.
“Never heard of it! Not involved,” Drudge told the Daily Mail.
The escalating dispute now leaves Wintrich fighting a lawsuit seeking millions of dollars while simultaneously threatening legal action of his own against the leadership of one of New York’s most prominent young Republican organizations.
