GOP Candidate Quits After Allegedly Sending Rape Messages To Reporter

A GOP candidate for local office in New Jersey quit the race on Tuesday after a reporter revealed shed received harassing messages from his social media account, ABC Action News in Philadelphia reported.

Michael Krawitz, who was running for the West Deptford Township committee, informed the local Republican Party group of his withdrawal in a confirmed handwritten note, the station said.

Krawitzs decision came in the wake of damning comments he appeared to have posted on Daily Beast reporter Olivia Nuzzis Facebook page on Monday. One, shared by Nuzzi, said: Fuck. You. Olivia, I. Hope. Somebody. Rapes. You. Today. :)

This man who wants me to be raped today was a Republican candidate for office in NJ https://t.co/NgxtjOTaJ9 pic.twitter.com/H31Q5VmXVc

Olivia Nuzzi (@Olivianuzzi) September 5, 2016","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"Olivia Nuzzi","author_url":"https://twitter.com/Olivianuzzi","cache_age":86400,"description":"This man who wants me to be raped today was a Republican candidate for office in NJ https://t.co/NgxtjOTaJ9 pic.twitter.com/H31Q5VmXVc— Olivia Nuzzi (@Olivianuzzi) September 5, 2016\n","provider_name":"Twitter","title":"Olivia Nuzzi on Twitter","type":"rich","url":"https://twitter.com/Olivianuzzi/status/772802941442990080","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"mobile","editionInfo":{"id":"us","name":"U.S.","link":"https://action.news","locale":"en_US"},"originalEdition":"us","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"57d00042e4b03d2d459759b6","entryPermalink":"https://action.news/entry/michael-krawitz-olivia-nuzzi-harassment_n_57d00042e4b03d2d459759b6","entryTagsList":"sexual-harassment,online-harassment,michael-krawitz,olivia-nuzzi,@actionbutton,@health_adhd,@health_depression,@health_erectile,@health_gad,@health_hiv,@health_ibs,@health_models,@health_pain","sectionSlug":"politics","deptSlug":"politics-news","sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"women","isWide":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"us.politics","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc111dcf87c2cd2f5d8bf","overrides":{"front_page_top_videos":{"desktop":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","mobileweb":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d"},"top_media":{"desktop":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","mobile":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"anthology":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"content":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"}},"playerUpdates":{"5668ae6ee4b0b5e26955d6a6":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","56aa41bae4b091744c0440d8":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81","5841b2b5cc52c716ec6e5a7f":"60b8e355cdd90620331ba185","58b5e2b8d85a10302feee895":"60b64316b171b7444beafdb2","58b74698f78ced31417819ae":"60b8e5bec5449357a7ad9b52","58b74ccecebcea57e2c3a3d1":"60b8e5eac5449357a7ad9ca5","58cff690d85a100b9992bc39":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","58cffb3fb6d9b972a49a3c9d":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","58cffdd74d96935d7d6ec180":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","58d03a84f78ced6518eb2fa7":"60b643c82e76be41f112735c","592edf20e0fa177b0c26f7fd":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","5b35266b158f855373e28256":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","5c116f29f79c4171d82b7c2a":"60b64440b171b7444beb040b","5c1170fc600c9a697bf0c6b9":"60b646102e76be41f1127ffc","5c47791afa1b317df8ae0c4f":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","5c477987a6b48b35f164773d":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","5c4779ee943c3c2a64f28371":"60b8e747cdd90620331bb861","5c477a26fcd67b26879bc7c2":"60b8e788c5449357a7ada67b","5d8921a78c3ae845f366c9b6":"60ae7be5f3a7c13a30417ff9","58b98b00ba82aa39a6534321":"60d0de7c9340d7032ad1146c","58b9d14cb6d9b96c9ec32af3":"60d0dec19340d7032ad115a0","58cff8eccebcea42931e0436":"60d0e005b627221e9d819d44","592edf5de0fa177b0c26f95b":"60d0e38fb627221e9d81adcf","58cff72fd85a100b9992c112":"60d0e447b627221e9d81b0da","56b4d34fe4b022697697c400":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","60b8e4c0c5449357a7ad957d":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"ff7fdddc-5441-4253-abc4-f12a33fad58b","clickToPlayPlayer":"d014396e-b366-4c17-aeac-3ce906fa3fd0","videoPagePlayer":"f010447b-d244-4111-a314-7b4542ae4145","verticalPlayer":"e58cb05a-0bc8-4210-9108-fea82726c065","stickyPlayerControl":"52ea1755-d601-4ad1-bccc-d8cce3f0e5da","stickyPlayerON":"8055e9e5-3bda-4933-8d45-9ad814fb6e22"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":6},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":0},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"57d00042e4b03d2d459759b6","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"mobile","page_edition":"en-us"},"tags":[{"name":"Sexual Harassment","slug":"sexual-harassment","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/sexual-harassment","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/sexual-harassment","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/sexual-harassment"},"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"Crime","slug":"crime"},"topic":{"title":"Sexual Harassment","slug":"sexual-harassment","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/sexual-harassment"},{"name":"online harassment","slug":"online-harassment","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/online-harassment","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/online-harassment","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/online-harassment"},"url":"https://action.news/topic/online-harassment"},{"name":"michael krawitz","slug":"michael-krawitz","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/michael-krawitz","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/michael-krawitz","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/michael-krawitz"},"url":"https://action.news/topic/michael-krawitz"},{"name":"olivia nuzzi","slug":"olivia-nuzzi","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/olivia-nuzzi","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/olivia-nuzzi","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/olivia-nuzzi"},"url":"https://action.news/topic/olivia-nuzzi"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["

\r\n\r\n","

\r\n\r\n"],"adCount":0},"isCollectionEmbed":false,"enhancements":{}}">

This man who wants me to be raped today was a Republican candidate for office in NJ https://t.co/NgxtjOTaJ9 pic.twitter.com/H31Q5VmXVc
Olivia Nuzzi (@Olivianuzzi) September 5, 2016

Krawitz told the Philadelphia Inquirer his account had been hacked and that he had not written the comments . However, the West Deptford Republican Committee chairman said there is no reasonable reason to believe the GOP candidate was hacked.

Nuzzi says Krawitz has been trolling her since December 2014. In her own article about the harassment , she said Krawitz had left numerous comments on her Facebook page, using the same grammar that appeared in Mondays comments. In August, Nuzzi said, Krawitz asked her about gun crime in Chicago and called her the c-word.

When a former reality TV star can become the Republican nominee while offending and belittling entire genders, races, and religions, why wouldnt a man seeking local office think that encouraging the rape of a woman he hates is OK? she wrote.

Your Support Has Never Been More Critical

Other news outlets have retreated behind paywalls. At HuffPost, we believe journalism should be free for everyone.

Would you help us provide essential information to our readers during this critical time? We can't do it without you.

Can't afford to contribute? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.

You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you.

Whether you give once or many more times, we appreciate your contribution to keeping our journalism free for all.

Whether you give just one more time or sign up again to contribute regularly, we appreciate you playing a part in keeping our journalism free for all.

Support HuffPost

As a reporter, bullying of this kind from would-be politicians makes you fear for your First Amendment rights, Nuzzi said in a statement to Action News. As an American and a woman, it makes you fear for the state of our country and the safety of half the population that inhabits it.

The latest round of profanity from Krawitzs social media account appeared after Nuzzi shared a Daily Beast article on Donald Trump s second wife, Marla Maples.

The Huffington Post left a message with a woman who identified herself as Krawitzs sister at a number listed for him, but has not yet received a reply.