EXCLUSIVE: Representatives of the American Conservative Union gave harsh words to the leadership of Hyatt Hotels on Monday after the company that hosted the CPAC 2021 event issued statements that the ACU claimed to “belittle and defame” it.
Matt Schlapp, president of the American Conservative Union, told Fox News that the political group intends to defend itself by saying that Hyatt hotels “gave in to the lies of left-wing bodybuilders” amid a controversy over the design of the stage.
Schlapp said that because the CPAC is such an “effective” platform, he hopes that critics across the hall will aim at the event “in an attempt to cancel us”, but the American Conservative Union did not expect to reject what it perceives as attacks company you worked with to host the event.
“Contrary to Hyatt’s own mission statement of inclusion, your company has just attacked its own client by giving in to pressure from politically motivated social media agitators who seek to destroy CPAC, our participants and speakers from across the country and the millions of Americans who support our work, “said David Safavian, General Counsel for the American Conservative Union, in a statement.
The disagreement comes after critics say the design of the CPAC stage looked like a symbol of hatred known as a Nordic rune, which appeared in Nazi uniforms.
In response to social media protests, Hyatt said in a statement that the American Conservative Union, which hosts and runs the event, “manages all aspects of the event’s logistics, including stage design and aesthetics”.
“We discussed directly with the ACU leadership, who told us that any resemblance to a hate symbol is unintentional,” the statement continued.
In another statement, the group said that if it had recognized the “potential” of hate symbolism, it would have approached it proactively. However, he said he “allowed the event to continue” after CPAC organizers ensured that any resemblance was entirely unintentional.
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Schlapp, who refers to the accusations as “absurd”, said the event’s organizers worked with Hyatt in a coordinated public response, but said the company waited until the CPAC had finished to disrupt understanding and “discredit” us as to try to “get favors from left-wing bodybuilders”.
“We are going to defend our honor and our character and it is simply absurd to accuse this conference and our organization of being anti-Semitic when we had the [U.S. ambassador] for Israel to speak from that stage, “said Schlapp, adding that there were also standing Jewish religious services that the hotel helped facilitate.
Safavian’s letter said the conservative group collaborated with Hyatt hotels and subcontractors throughout the planning process – including stage design, noting that no one at the company raised any concerns during that time.
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Hyatt also said that conference participants showed “hostility” to hotel staff about their attempts to apply the mask policy.
Schlapp told Fox News that, in terms of public health protocols, the event followed the example of Florida Attorney General and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. DeSantis spoke at the event.
Schlapp also said that Hyatt Regency Orlando recruited the event and was aware of the group’s mission statement and what it stood for from the start. He said he was grateful to many employees who were happy to work, considering how the pandemic has affected the United States economy – and specifically the hospitality industry.
When asked by Fox News whether the American Conservative Union planned to cut ties with Hyatt hotels for future events, Schlapp said the group was “reviewing all of its options”. He also urged conservative Americans not to spend their consumer dollars on companies that will “attack” them on “the whim of any false charge”.
A Hyatt spokesman did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for further comment.
As previously reported by FOX Business, on Friday night, Hyatt Hotels defended its decision to host the conservative event, which some people claimed the company was endorsing by allowing it to happen at one of its properties.
The hashtag #boycottHyatt started to spread on social media, but a spokesman for Hyatt Hotels said at the time that the company is “proud to operate in a highly inclusive environment”.
He reiterated those values in a statement on Sunday.
The three-day event was held at the Hyatt Regency Orlando in Florida, featuring a number of prominent Republican speakers, from lawmakers and former government officials to President Donald Trump.
The conference is the largest annual gathering of activists and conservative leaders. Fox Nation is a sponsor of CPAC 2021.