Sullivan & Cromwell Partner Apologizes for 'Rot in Hell' Tweet After Kavanaugh Hearings
Prominent M&A partner Frank Aquila deleted his Twitter account after telling White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders she should "Rot in Hell You B!tch" for defending Sen. Lindsey Graham.
September 28, 2018 at 03:10 PM
2 minute read
The original version of this story was published on New York Law Journal
Sullivan & Cromwell partner Frank Aquila, who deleted his Twitter account after tweeting that White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders should “Rot in Hell,” has sent a firmwide apology, writing his “emotions got the best of me” and no woman “should be subjected to such animus.”
Sanders had tweeted that Sen. Lindsey Graham, who vigorously defended Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh amid Thursday's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on sexual assault allegations, “has more decency and courage than every Democrat member of the committee combined.” She added, “God bless him.”
Aquila tweeted back at Sanders, with a flurry of emoticons, “I never knew you had a sense of humor OMG!!!! How funny!!!” His tweet added, “Rot in Hell You B!tch.”
Hundreds of Twitter users began tweeting or retweeting about it, and one conservative website wrote about it. By late Thursday Aquila had deleted his Twitter account.
According to an email obtained by ALM, Aquila wrote to his firm colleagues Friday afternoon in a note titled “My profound apology.”
“Last evening, I responded to a tweet from Sarah Sanders in an inappropriate and hurtful manner. Clearly my emotions got the best of me, but equally clearly neither Ms. Sanders nor any woman should be subjected to such animus. I take full responsibility for my actions and I sincerely apologize to Ms. Sanders,” he wrote in the email.
Aquila did not return an email seeking comment. A firm spokeswoman declined to comment.
Aquila, a prominent M&A partner at the firm, has contributed to several Democratic causes and candidates over the last year, according to campaign finance records. Meanwhile, several of his Sullivan & Cromwell partners have been tapped for Trump administration roles, including Jay Clayton, Steven Peikin, Jeffrey Wall and Brent McIntosh.
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