Black Trump Supporter Sues Right-Wing Group for Discrimination

A Black Trump supporter is suing Americans for Prosperity (AFP), a conservative organization, claiming they discriminated against him and wrongfully fired him. The lawsuit includes allegations that someone from the organization called him a “slave” during his short time working there.

The man, Carl Baxter, says that AFP didn’t pay him the wages and travel reimbursements he earned during his 12 days as a canvasser. Baxter was hired in June 2023 but was fired after he complained about not being paid properly. According to reports, his firing happened soon after he raised these concerns.

AFP, a group started by conservative businessmen Charles and David Koch, has been active in right-wing politics. In 2024, they opposed Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and supported other Republican candidates like Nikki Haley. Baxter, who strongly supports Trump, says his problems with AFP began when he refused to take a bribe to find damaging information that could hurt Trump’s chances of being re-elected.

The lawsuit claims that AFP’s Deputy Director of Grassroots met Baxter at a restaurant in Ft. Myers and offered him $500 to dig up “dirt” on a local politician, Patty Cummings. Baxter says he turned down the offer because of his loyalty to Trump.

The lawsuit says AFP was trying to stop Trump from winning the Republican nomination in 2024 and was also against local politicians who supported Trump.

Baxter also alleges that during a conversation about his wages, AFP’s Grassroots Engagement Director, Roxanne Buckels, made a racially offensive comment. She allegedly called him a “slave” and asked him to confirm it.

According to the lawsuit, Buckels said, “I know you are doing the work, and I can see the doors that you are hitting on my iPad. At least you are working as a slave (sarcastically), but at least you are getting paid; many slaves today do get paid, and many used to never get paid. Are you a slave?”

Baxter claims that after he reported this comment to his supervisor, he was quickly fired. The lawsuit notes that both Buckels and the supervisor are white.

In response to the lawsuit, AFP said, “While we do not comment on current litigation, we take all allegations of violations of the law extremely seriously and will fully investigate those made in this complaint.”

Baxter also says that his white colleagues did not have any issues with getting paid, while he still hasn’t received his overdue wages. He is asking for damages to compensate for the discrimination and retaliation he says he faced.