Courtney Johnson, a lobbyist and the leader of the Alpine Group’s healthcare business, was fired after an internal investigation revealed that she had made racist remarks in a widely shared video
Courtney Johnson was registered with many well-known firms, including AWS, Leidos Lyft, Amgen, and others. He was also a principal with the Capitol Hill consulting firm.
Who is Courtney Johnson as lobbyist is fired by Alpine Group after video of her racist messages during Washington Capitals hockey game went viral
DC top lobbyist "Alpine Group" staffer Courtney Johnson caught is racist text exchange. Part of the exchange calls for "genocide" of black people.#USPolitics #USNews #alpinegrouphttps://t.co/4aWaMOLEwM
— Nickie Kane for NY (@NickieKane4NYC) February 28, 2025
“After a comprehensive internal investigation, the employment of Courtney Johnson has been terminated, effective immediately, due to conduct inconsistent with company policies and standards,” the Alpine Group stated in a statement provided to Playbook. The opinions expressed are extremely disrespectful and go against the ethos and values of our company.
The bipartisan government affairs consulting firm Alpine Group assists its customers in “navigating the halls of Congress, the White House, and federal agencies with success.”
Additionally, Johnson is no longer included among the firm’s consultants on its website.
In the widely shared video, a white woman later identified as Courtney Johnson was seen messaging a man named Jimmy during a Washington Capitals hockey game discussing how black students in “hood” schools were less educated because they did not travel as much as “rich whites.”
In the context of the CIA’s treatment of Black people and targeted abortions in the community, screenshots of the video zoomed in on the texts and showed more remarks from the individual named Jimmy, who said that no one had been as “kind and welcoming” to Black people as the white world.
The screenshots also show Courtney Johnson responding, “abortion doesn’t target people. Black people have more s*x partners and a higher risk of pregnancy…”
Johnson responded, “It is hardest for whites in suburban areas to get into college,” in response to Jimmy’s assertion that poverty made it easier for black people than for white people to enroll in college. “Colleges won’t accept us since we have the greatest GPAs and they desire diversity.”
According to the woman, Jimmy remarked, “I want to kill all blacks,” and “I want to commit genocide,” during the text exchange, and Courtney Johnson kept talking to him without responding to the offensive remarks.
@AlpineGroupDC What are you guys waiting on by not FIRING #CourtneyJohnson Her a$$ should be out by Monday! If she doesn’t reflect your companies core value, she should be out today. May every RACIST person lose everything they have! #CarryOn https://t.co/wvmpiEkSbU
— Fitzgerald Mayhan (@RealFitz56) February 28, 2025
Johnson has yet to publicly respond to her termination and the scandal has also raised broader conversations about racism in professional spaces and the responsibility of companies to take decisive action against employees who engage in such conduct.