by A die-hard Trumpaire in Florida says he was discriminated against by a right-wing political advocacy group, claiming he was a “slave” during his 12 days with the organization before he was fired for complaining.
Carl Baxter, who is Black, is suing Americans for Prosperity, the “grassroots” conservative non-profit operation founded by Charles and David Koch, the billionaire siblings and climate change enablers.
Baxter serves as president of the North & East Fort Myers Republican Club, and is not at all shy about his deep affection for Donald Trump. It is visible on social media at Trump appearanceswaving the MAGA flag at “Trump Truck Parade,” at a charity gala Giving the camera a Trumpian “thumbs up” and wearing and posing with a red MAGA hat, among others county tax collector which has come out as a a glorious opponent of the critical theory of race.
AFP, which has been around since 2004, came to prominence after Barack Obama was sworn in as president. He has traditionally focused on securing workers’ rights, blocking Medicaid expansion, knee-jerk green energy initiatives, and pushing down the minimum wage. Since 2010, some 42 percent of AFP ads are rated “false” by PolitiFact, the nonpartisan fact-checking website; none were rated “true”. The group endorsed Trump’s UN ambassador Nikki Haley in the 2024 presidential race before the former South Carolina governor bowed out in March.
Trump turned to AFP’s support for Haley, posting last January to his flailing Twitter clone, Truth Social: “American’s [sic] for No Prosperity, who made more money during the Trump years than at any other time, they are stupid people supporting Birdbrain as she goes down the tubes. Bad timing Charles!”
Baxter, filed Monday and received by The Independentdescribes him as “an African-American businessman active in local politics”. He says he was brought on by AFP in June 2023 to work as a part-time “associate on the ground”. Baxter’s duties consisted of “canvassing neighborhoods to talk to voters about policy issues selected by AFP and driving to and from those neighborhoods,” according to the suit.
AFP agreed to pay Baxter $20 an hour for the door-knocking duties, as well as unspecified mileage reimbursement, the lawsuit says. He started on June 14, 2023, and his job performance, according to the suit, was “outstanding.”
However, the lawsuit says that Baxter was quickly disenchanted with AFP.
“Early in the tenure of the Complainant, the Deputy Director of the AFP [of] Grassroots… Plaintiff met at the Oasis restaurant in downtown Ft. Myers and offered the Plaintiff $500 in bribes to provide ‘dirt’ to Cape Coral council member Patty Cummings,” the suit states. “The plaintiff refused. AFP’s goal was to stop President Donald J. Trump from winning the Republican nomination in the 2024 presidential primaries and, locally, to oppose politicians who support President Trump.
Baxter also felt that AFP was not giving him “credit for all the hours he worked and all the doors he knocked on,” while cutting him wages, the lawsuit alleges. So, 12 days into the job, the suit says he raised his concerns on a phone call with his supervisor, AFP Director of Grassroots Engagement Roxanne Buckels.
Buckley was white, according to Baxter’s suit, “then he went calling [him] was a ‘slave’ and demanded that he prove he was a ‘slave,’ saying: ‘I know you’re doing the work and I see the doors you’re knocking on my iPad on my on your side. At least you’re working like a slave (sarcastically) but at least you’re getting paid, a lot of slaves are paid today, and not usually a lot. Are you a slave?’”
Baxter was “very offended” and “demanded to speak to Ms. Buckels’ immediate supervisor,” the lawsuit continues. Buckels then set up a conference call with his boss, who is also white, according to the suit, to discuss Baxter’s concerns. A few minutes later, the supervisor called back, and AFP’s director of state operations was on the line — a white woman, the lawsuit says — and “terminated Plaintiff’s employment without notice, effective immediately.”
The lawsuit says Baxter has not yet been paid the wages he is owed by AFP, nor has he been reimbursed for any of his mileage. Similarly, Baxter claims in his suit that AFP paid his white employees without issue. The suit accuses AFP of racial discrimination, retaliation, and wage theft, and demands back wages and legal fees, as well as exemplary, punitive and compensatory damages “for Plaintiff’s emotional pain and suffering.”
An AFP spokesperson told the Independent, “While we do not comment on current litigation, we take all allegations of violations of the law very seriously and will fully investigate those made in this complaint.”
Baxter’s attorney, Jay Lechter, said The Independent“My client just wants justice and to make sure this doesn’t happen to anyone else.”
A source with direct knowledge of the case noted that Baxter was technically working for AFP as a contractor, and said that AFP was not actually a direct employer.
Buckels did not respond to a request for comment.
