West Deptford Republican candidate Mike Krawitz quits after rape posts on Facebook

A Gloucester County Republican has withdrawn from a local election after reports that he called for the rape of a Washington-based Daily Beast reporter in a Facebook post. The West Deptford Republican

News 12 Staff

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Sep 7, 2016, 12:40 AM

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Updated 3,027 days ago

A Gloucester County Republican has withdrawn from a local election after reports that he called for the rape of a Washington-based Daily Beast reporter in a Facebook post.

The West Deptford Republican Party Committee said Tuesday that Mike Krawitz had submitted a handwritten letter resigning from the township committee race.

Krawitz had told The Philadelphia Inquirer that his account must have been hacked, but journalist Olivia Nuzzi says she has been harassed on social media by Krawitz since December 2015.

Bob Waller, chairman of the West Deptford Republican Party Committee, says the group found no evidence that Krawitz's account was hacked and called the comments repulsive.

The comments said: "I. Hope. Somebody. Rapes. You. Today. :)." The account also posted a comment that said: "Hope. You. Get. Raped. By. A. Syrian. Refugee. :)."

The comments came after Nuzzi promoted an article about Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's ex-wife Marla Maples.

The Facebook pages for Krawitz and the West Deptford GOP were both down Tuesday.

A person answering a phone number listed for Krawitz told the Associated Press that he wasn't home.

The Associated Press wire services contributed to this report.