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.
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!
Meeting Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV)! I respect the way he opposes his party’s leadership on Cap and Tax!
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!
Meeting Ann Coulter! Conservative Commentator, Author, Columnist, and Lawyer!
Meeting Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL)!A potential presidential candidate for 2016!
Meeting Jimmy McMillan! Potential Republican Candidate for 2012! Founder of the Rent is too Damn High Party!
CPAC 2011!
Meeting Dick Morris! Former Political Advisor to President Bill Clinton! Fox News Analyst! Liberal turned Conservative… I guess he saw the light!
Meeting Joe The Plumber! CPAC 2012!
Meeting Chuck Woolery! CPAC 2012!
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’.
And inevitably:
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.
Adam Savader: Part-Time Accused Online Stalker, Full-Time Photobomber
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