Kelly Neumann, a Michigan trial attorney and Democratic fundraiser, has threatened the Washington Free Beacon with "legal action" unless we retract our story about her Veterans Day Facebook post honoring her grandfather who served "on the German side" in World War II.
The Free Beacon and others reported in January that Neumann, who has ties to prominent Michigan Democrats and co-chairs the finance committee on U.S. Senate candidate Mallory McMorrow's campaign, had posted a bizarre message on her Facebook account in November 2024. McMorrow's campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
"Happy Veterans Day to all my family and friends who serve/served!" Neumann's post read. "Interesting story, I do not talk much about but my Grandfather, Albert Neumann was on the German side in WWI & WWII. He escaped to Brazil with my father after Germany lost..."
The post included several photos of the Nazi soldier in his Wehrmacht uniform. Neumann recalled that her grandfather was one of the first people to accept her as gay, which proved that "people can change and love can indeed win." Neumann appears to have deleted the post shortly after the Free Beacon published our story. In the interest of full transparency, we have included a screenshot below.
Last week, the Free Beacon received a letter from Neumann's attorney demanding a "formal retraction" of the "false and defamatory" statement in the article. The letter was signed by Eugenie B. Eardley, another Michigan trial attorney who describes herself as the "First Lady of Law." She even has her own catch phrase—"seriously serious about the law"—which is ironic given the profound unseriousness of the threatening letter she wrote on Neumann's behalf.
For example, Eardley suggested the Free Beacon had not merely defamed her client, but may have also invaded her privacy by reporting on a post she made on the public Facebook account where she routinely shares photos of herself cavorting with Democratic politicians. That's because Neumann made the post "in her private capacity as a granddaughter," which sounds like nonsense.
Furthermore, the Free Beacon was appalled by the numerous false (and arguably defamatory) statements contained in the letter:
- Eardley accused the Free Beacon of describing Neumann's grandfather as a member of the Schutzstaffel (SS), the Nazi paramilitary group that played a central role in the Holocaust. That's false. We described him as a "former Nazi soldier" who "fought for Hitler," which is true.
- Eardley asserted that the Free Beacon's report was "based on a purported 'tip' provided to your staff" by a source associated with Rep. Haley Stevens (D., Mich.). Also false.
- Eardley claimed that Neumann's grandfather was "a German soldier only, not a member of the Nazi Party," citing independent verification from the Zentrum für Militärgeschichte und Sozialwissenschaften der Bundeswehr, a German military research institute. The attached email correspondence from the institute confirmed that Neumann's grandfather served in the Wehrmacht under Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, but provided no evidence regarding his affiliation with the Nazi Party.
Eardley went on to assert that the Free Beacon's article had inflicted "substantial reputation injury" to the extent that her client had become "a political outcast in her professional and political communities." That's a seriously serious accusation, and one that might have been quite challenging to verify if Neumann wasn't such a prolific poster on her aforementioned public Facebook account.
A Free Beacon analysis revealed that despite her status as a "political outcast," Neumann has continued to cavort with prominent Democrats from Michigan and beyond. In the past two months alone, she has posted photos of herself alongside former Sen. Debbie Stabenow (Mich.), Sen. Amy Klobuchar (Minn.), Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (Mich.), Gov. Tim Walz (Minn.) Gov. Gavin Newsom (Calif.), Gov. Andy Beshear (Ky.), and former transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg.
Earlier this month, Neumann expressed gratitude for being seated "front and center" at the Michigan Democratic Women's Caucus Legacy Luncheon and getting to meet the "wonderful" Kamala Harris (again).
Neumann has also threatened legal action against the National Republican Congressional Committee, which also noticed her bizarre Veterans Day tribute, in a letter that was nearly identical to the one we received. Neumann has raised money for and personally donated to Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet's (D., Mich.) campaign.
"We'd like to thank Kelly Neumann, a member of Kristen McDonald Rivet's 'fundraising cabinet,' for exposing the truth," NRCC communications director Will Kiley said in a statement. "While she was posting photos glorifying her grandfather at Nazi Germany Sachsenhausen concentration camp, McDonald Rivet was busy cashing her checks."
Stay tuned!
