On Friday, Blaze News exclusively reported on the circumstances regarding the firing of a young operative by the Indiana Republican Party. That operative, Paul Tinkle, was fired last week for flashing the "OK" sign in a picture posted to social media. He was rehired by the state party on Monday after the Blaze News report.
Tinkle has worked on Republican politics since he was 16. After teaching in Japan for three years, where the "OK" sign is a common gesture when being photographed, he returned to manage volunteers for the Indiana State GOP.
'I want to personally apologize to Paul for jumping to a conclusion that was not supported by the facts.'
His firing and rehiring quickly became a social media firestorm. Blaze News exclusively reported on Friday that Hamilton County GOP Chair Mario Massillamany allegedly played an outsized role in Tinkle's firing, according to Tinkle's supervisors.
"I was not instrumental in getting him fired," Massillamany told Blaze News on Friday. "I have had nothing to do with firing him."
"I did not know what his sign was," Massillamany said.
Other sources contradicted Massillamany's version of events to Blaze News.
"Mario thinks you dropped a white power symbol and no one will be able to convince him otherwise," a supervisor told Tinkle just prior to his termination, one text obtained by Blaze News showed.
On Monday morning, Indiana Republican Party Chairwoman Lana Keesling admitted that she made a mistake by firing Tinkle and accepted responsibility for the move many saw as unjustified.
"I am glad to share that Paul Tinkle will be returning to his position with the Indiana Republican Party. After learning more about the situation, it became clear that I did not have the full picture," Keesling said in a statement posted to X. "I made the wrong decision regarding Paul’s employment, and I take full responsibility for it. I want to personally apologize to Paul for jumping to a conclusion that was not supported by the facts."
RELATED: Exclusive: Republican operative fired after flashing "OK" sign speaks out
Tinkle told Blaze News that he is just glad to get back to work as the November midterms approach.
"I would like everyone to unify around our wonderful candidates, especially Max Engling. I want to thank the countless Hoosier officials who stood up for me, especially: Lieutenant Governor Micah Beckwith, Representative Andrew Ireland, state Senate candidate Trevor De Vries, and County Councilman Brandon Harnish," Tinkle said. "I also want to thank our Governor Mike Braun for his great service and for getting this all fixed."
"Last but not least, I want to thank all the wonderful folks at Turning Point for their help," Tinkle said. "I look forward to working with them in the future."
The Indiana State GOP did not respond to a request for comment.
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[H/T Blaze Media]
