Racist texts and accusations of forging MLB star's signature plagues Republican: report

A Georgia Republican running for Congress is facing explosive allegations that he forged a Major League Baseball star's signature to lure investors into a land deal and sent a trove of racist and antisemitic text messages.

Ryan Millsap, founder of Blackhall Studios, the Atlanta-area film studio used by Marvel for projects including "Venom" and "Loki," launched a late-stage bid for Georgia's 10th Congressional District last month, vowing to put $4 million behind his campaign.

But his past caught up with him fast, the New York Post reported Monday.

In 2017, investment firm Telos Capital LLC sued Millsap, accusing him of "fraudulently" inducing the firm to sink $8.5 million into a 52-acre land deal outside Atlanta by forging the signature of former Atlanta Braves outfielder Jason Heyward. A private investigator confirmed the signature was lifted off a baseball trading card. The suit was settled in 2018.

Additionally, racist texts surfaced.

ProPublica reported in 2024 on a cache of racist messages Millsap allegedly sent his then-girlfriend, which surfaced during an arbitration dispute with his former lawyer. Court documents show Millsap responding to a description of a Black woman with "F—ing Black People," and asking "Black or Asian?" when told a nurse was "r-------," using a derogatory term for a person with developmental disabilities. He and his girlfriend also allegedly exchanged antisemitic messages, with Millsap reportedly using phrases like "greedy Israelite" and "Jew jitsued."

Millsap's spokesman scoffed at the allegations.

"These claims are made up out of whole cloth. Full stop," the spokesman said. “Ryan Millsap is a warrior who has been doing battle against the leftist Antifa movement for years and wants to help President Donald Trump finish them to save this country.”