Weigel

Adam Savader: Part-Time Accused Online Stalker, Full-Time Photobomber

Callista Gingrich, with Ellis the Elephant, reads to sick children from her children’s book “Sweet Land of Liberty” at MUSC Children’s Hospital in Charleston, South Carolina on January 20, 2012.

Photo by PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images

I met Adam Savader nearly a year ago, in the depressing hotel ballroom where Newt Gingrich pulled out of the 2012 presidential campaign. He handed me a business card, saying he’d had a great time on the campaign and was helping wind it down, then looking for a new gig. Within a day or so, we were pals on Facebook and Twitter. “Nice guy,” I thought.
This might have been the wrong take on the situation. Last week a complaint was filed against Savader, alleging that, over the course of many months, he effectively stalked girls by blackmailing them with nude photos of themselves. In one case he allegedly goaded a subject with “a series of personal questions, relating to sexual preferences, positions, etc,” holding out the nude photos as bait.
My friend Chris Moody immediately found the weirdest angle on this story. In his capacity in Newtworld, Savader occasionally was tasked with dressing as “Ellis the Elephant,” the hero of Callista Gingrich children’s books. I’ve got a less weird, possibly more revealing angle: Savader is/was one of those young D.C. go-getters—there are legions—who made sure to get photographed with as many famous people as possible. His Facebook ego wall is a marvel—all of the following photos are from there, with captions written by the man himself, from 2010 through 2013.
68705_1476750723022_1065295_n Meeting Bill O’Reilly! Host of Fox News Channel’s The O’Reilly Factor! “The Number 1 Cable News Show for Ten Years and Counting!”  Author of Pinheads and Patriots! This is a moment of true happiness! 149667_1532703241800_4068643_n Meeting Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV)! I respect the way he opposes his party’s leadership on Cap and Tax!
167162_1614333802513_3260772_n Standing next to Speaker Newt Gingrich and Governor Dean at the GW debate! Yes… I am standing next to two of the most polarizing individuals in all of politics! 170571_1625811169440_3558188_o Meeting Ann Coulter! Conservative Commentator, Author, Columnist, and Lawyer! 227391_1836810884301_5024979_n Meeting Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL)!A potential presidential candidate for 2016! 172015_1625807649352_8243583_o Meeting Jimmy McMillan! Potential Republican Candidate for 2012! Founder of the Rent is too Damn High Party!
CPAC 2011!
185557_2002601828971_5901125_n Meeting Dick Morris! Former Political Advisor to President Bill Clinton! Fox News Analyst! Liberal turned Conservative… I guess he saw the light!
397141_2743618433923_703141831_n Meeting Joe The Plumber! CPAC 2012!
431262_2743523711555_1490314533_n
Meeting Chuck Woolery! CPAC 2012!
423737_2743780357971_172618519_n
Meeting Sarah Palin! CPAC 2012! [Ed - This is an incredibly broad definition of “meeting.”]
All of this was before the general election, when Savader became “the sole Vice Presidential Operations Intern at Romney For President!” (A former Ryan spox has no memory of the guy.) After he’d allegedly hassled some girls online, before it was exposed, Savader kept on photobombin’.
621242_4011981422205_771470531_o 77815_4011986822340_500164468_o And inevitably: 254648_2002629069652_5811288_n Paging through these photos, we see a young and excited guy who just loved politics, and connecting with people through the Internet. He might have loved the latter thing too much.