After feud, Log Cabin Republican head to speak at CPAC

The head of the Log Cabin Republicans has been invited to speak on a panel at this week’s Conservative Political Action Conference, the pro-gay rights group announced Monday.

Executive Director Gregory Angelo said he will be speaking on a panel called “Putin’s Russia: A New Cold War?” alongside Seth Cropsey, Cliff May, Amanda Bellows and potential 2016 candidate Carly Fiorina.


The announcement comes after days of back and forth between the Log Cabin Republicans and the American Conservative Union, which organizes CPAC.

“There has been a great deal of confusion over the last 48 hours regarding Log Cabin Republicans’ role in CPAC 2015,” Angelo wrote in a statement.

“[A]fter some fruitful conversations with the leadership of the American Conservative Union,” Angelo wrote, “we would like to express regret if anyone associated with the American Conservative Union felt unfairly maligned. That was never our intention.”

The Log Cabin Republicans claimed last week that the ACU had denied their request to sponsor this year’s event due to their stance on same-sex marriage. The ACU fired back, noting that the group had never formally applied.

In emails shared with POLITICO, Angelo contacted ACU Chairman Matt Schlapp and Executive Director Dan Schneider asking for information on sponsorship for CPAC.

“I hope that you’d consider making Log Cabin Republicans a meaningful part of CPAC 2015,” one email from Dec. 17 says. “We are able to sponsor this year’s event (indeed it would be an honor to do so) and would also appreciate being in dialogue with you as to how LCR can play a helpful role in making this year’s CPAC the most successful ever.”

Angelo said he never heard back from either Schlapp or Schneider. A spokesperson for the ACU would not explain why the emails went unanswered, but said that information for sponsorship is readily available online.

“For years, all we have wanted is for Log Cabin Republicans to be able to provide a meaningful contribution to CPAC, be it as sponsors, speakers, or panelists,” Angelo said in the statement explaining his participation. “Now is not the time to make the perfect the enemy of the good.”

In an interview with POLITICO last week, Schlapp said that including conservatives with a variety of viewpoints has been a focus of his time heading the ACU.

“I want to be a chairman who doesn’t shut down discussion but encourages discussion,” Schlapp said.

The panel on Russia will take place at noon on Feb. 28.