WASHINGTON — In light of Michigan Senate Republican Leader Mike Shirkey’s ties to armed militia movements, the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee calls on Senator Shirkey to resign his position. A recent report in the Michigan Advance recounts his long-standing fraternization with extremist groups — Shirkey welcomed armed anti-lockdown protestors into the Senate chamber last April, and later met with militia leaders and offered to help them “improve their message.” Just one month after the meeting, individuals linked to militias were charged in a plot to kidnap Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
“Right-wing extremist groups are a growing threat to our safety, and any politicians who willingly associate with them are not fit to hold elected office,” said DLCC President Jessica Post. “Senator Shirkey has repeatedly refused to disavow these militias, even after they were linked to terrifying plots against our government. After what we saw happen in Washington, he has no choice but to resign.
“The recent surge in right-wing insurrectionist threats and violence is the predictable result of the way Republicans have embraced and tacitly endorsed these groups,” added Post. “The GOP must be held accountable for the damage they have caused to our communities and governing institutions. If there is to be unity, they need to own up to the consequences of their actions.”
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