Adam Kinzinger Hit With Cease and Desist Letter Over ‘Defamatory Statement’
Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois was hit with a cease and desist order on Monday after he accused a private citizen of fraudulently collecting federal Paycheck Protection Program loans, which many small business owners received during the 2020 COVID lockdowns.
Alex Bruesewitz, a pro-Trump political strategist and subject of Kinzinger’s attack, urged the outgoing congressman to retract his statement and drop the subject.
Bruesewitz, the CEO of X Strategies LLC, tweeted Monday that Kinzinger “FALSELY accused me, a private citizen, of defrauding the US Gov’t. He stated that I took PPP Loans ‘despite having no employees.’”
“Only problem is, he knew I had employees. My attorney, @JeffClarkUS has sent Kinzinger a Cease & Desist,” he said.
In addition, Bruesewitz linked the full cease and desist order in a followup tweet, demanding an apology alongside it.
“Attached below you will find the full 7 page Cease & Desist / Retraction demand that my General Counsel, @JeffClarkUS sent to Congressman @AdamKinzinger,” the tweet read. “We are giving Kinzinger 5 days to retract his defamatory statement & issue me a public apology.”
Bruesewitz’s attorney accused Kinzinger in the letter of deceptively editing the alleged evidence that he used to support his claim that Bruesewitz had no employees.
“You deliberately cut off your screen shot of the information about X Strategies LLC” to leave out the part that states the small business had two employees at the time it applied for a PPP loan, the letter said.
Bruesewitz pressed the attack on Kinzinger later on Monday, calling him a “third-rate member of congress” who should “be ashamed of himself” for his defamatory statements.
“Adam Kinzinger is a 44 year old who has freeloaded off of the Government his entire adult life,” he said in another tweet. “He has never once created a job. On the other hand, I’m a 25 year old who has created quite a few jobs. Retract this malicious lie about me, @AdamKinzinger.”
“When my company received a PPP Loan, I was 23 & employed 2 people full time. Today, I am 25 years old & employ 10 people. We at @XStrategiesLLC are a small team, but we pack a big punch! Hence why we are maliciously defamed,” Bruesewitz’s comments continued.
“Btw Kinzinger has never signed the front of a paycheck.”