ALBANY — State Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt, R-North Tonawanda, denounced on Tuesday racist online chat comments made by members of young Republican organizations that, in some instances, referred to Black people as monkeys and “watermelon people” and, in other instances, suggesting their political opponents should be put into gas chambers.

In a statement issued following Politico’s report on leaked messages posted by members of the New York Young Republicans on a private group chat system, Ortt said he “shocked and disgusted” by them. Bobby Walker, a former member of Ortt’s staff, was among those cited in the article.

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