GOP Gov. LePage Met With, Encouraged Sovereign Citizens Who Wanted To Hang Democratic Lawmakers
According to an excerpt from the first chapter of As Maine Went: Governor Paul LePage and the Tea Party of Maine, which was reported on The Bangor Daily News, a pair of “sovereign citizen” radio hosts claim that they met with Gov. Paul LePage last year and discussed hanging Democratic lawmakers.
FYI: Gov. LePage considers himself to be “pro-life.”
Bangor Daily News reports, “A review of audio recordings of a conspiracy theory radio show, documents obtained from the governor’s office through Freedom of Access requests and interviews with participants indicate that over a period of eight months from January to September, 2013, Governor Paul LePage held at least eight meetings with a group of Sovereign Citizens, recognized by the FBI and Maine state law enforcement as belonging to “a domestic terrorist movement.””
Sovereign Citizens Wayne Leach, Gary Smart and Phil Merletti speak at a Maine Tea Party rally (Image: YouTube)
Talking Points Memo reports:
On one episode of the Aroostook Watchmen show, McCarthy spoke about having met and worked with Schaeffer Cox, the founder of the Alaska Peacemakers Militia, a Sovereign Citizen group. In January 2013, Cox was sentenced to twenty-six years in prison for conspiring to murder federal and state government officials, including judges and law enforcement agents, and for stockpiling illegal weapons and explosives.
This history of violence, much of which is detailed in the law enforcement manual that was handed to Governor LePage, casts a troubling light on some of the topics of conversation at the State House meeting that day, and some of LePage’s responses.
When discussing Senate President Justin Alfond and House Speaker Mark Eves, both Democrats, McCarthy apparently claimed that they were guilty of “high treason” and noted that the penalty for treason hadn’t changed in a hundred years.
“I never said it, but the governor said it. I never opened my mouth and said the word,” explained McCarthy. “The governor looked at us and looked at his buddy and said, ‘They’re talking about hanging them.’” (The “buddy” was apparently a member of LePage’s legal staff.)
According to McCarthy, at another point in the conversation, when discussing federal funding, LePage said, “If I go any further with this bill, with this refusal to accept federal money, they will surround this building and kill me.”
“I believe he thinks that literally, absolutely literally. I said if you call we will come and defend you,” said McCarthy on his show.
During those meetings, a number of conspiracy theorists weighed in as ‘experts’ with the belief that the federal and state governments are illegitimate and that federal officials and the United Nations are preparing for a genocidal attack on Christian Americans.
Warning: Graphic content. Listen to the audio:
knittingknots July 1st, 2014 at 11:49 am
There needs to be something beyond eyeroll for some people….headdesk isn’t a strong enough replacement….
DoobiusGamer July 1st, 2014 at 5:14 pm
Maybe this will do:
DoobiusGamer July 1st, 2014 at 5:17 pm
This maybe?
Anomaly 100 July 1st, 2014 at 11:13 pm
Nice seeing you here, my sistah!
knittingknots July 2nd, 2014 at 12:10 am
You know I couldn’t leave you here alone without my 2 cents, at least sometimes….
Anomaly 100 July 2nd, 2014 at 7:13 am
I’m so glad you didn’t abandon me!
arc99 July 1st, 2014 at 11:50 am
So look who is actually palling around with terrorists, a right wing Republican governor.
The Goddess of Projection aka Sarah Palin has been awfully quiet so far on this latest development.
Ron Jackson July 1st, 2014 at 11:55 am
The bottom line is the right wing in this nation is a terrorist movement.
R.J. Carter July 1st, 2014 at 12:09 pm
You have to be very, very, very careful about politicians who start palling around with domestic terrorists.
Those politicians might become President.
Anomaly 100 July 1st, 2014 at 12:13 pm
Clearly we did not allow Sarah Palin anywhere near the White House.
granpa.usthai July 1st, 2014 at 12:22 pm
I give thanks daily to the bad DU God for that one, Anomaly. – and the obedient and loyal hairdresser.
AND
now the God of excessive ‘baggage’ that’s causing it to be more and more difficult for her to squeeze her excessive ‘baggage’ into a rented Cessna without bottoming out.
granpa.usthai July 1st, 2014 at 12:17 pm
not under the legal requirements as outlined, RJ.
R.J. Carter July 1st, 2014 at 12:24 pm
The FBI lists the Weather Underground as a domestic terrorist group.
Cosmic_Surfer July 1st, 2014 at 1:00 pm
They listed a Friends Quilting Bee as one too. Doesn’t take much to get on their list.
Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, Hell even me
Signed,
Domestic “terrorist” by the FBI standards since I was 12
DaddyO_969 July 1st, 2014 at 2:26 pm
Because Nixon owned the FBI during his ‘reign.’ Until he got so ‘police state’ oriented the HEAD of the FBI became “Deep Throat.” Nixon had a long hate list, there were even some pretty respectable people on it. One association does not a terrorist make. Inviting them to speak at a public gathering and entertaining their ideas, well, that seems a bit different. And since we’re on the topic, what about the Bush family connection to the Bin Ladens?
m2old4bs July 1st, 2014 at 11:44 pm
Thank you. I don’t know why that doesn’t get brought up more often.
ChrisVosburg July 1st, 2014 at 1:14 pm
Yeah, we get it, Obama and Bill Ayers were BFFs who took lots of windy walks together. Another long-debunked shopworn trope from the “party of ideas.”
Say, RJ, why don’t you show us that picture of these “pals” together?
Right, why’d I ask.
R.J. Carter July 1st, 2014 at 1:47 pm
Oh, so you’re one of those “pics or it didn’t happen” people? This ain’t 4chan.
ChrisVosburg July 1st, 2014 at 2:00 pm
It ain’t World Net Daily, either, and yet here you are.
Put up or shut up!
Cosmic_Surfer July 1st, 2014 at 6:35 pm
Not necessarily. Bill Ayers (retired professor from University of Illinois at Chicago, formerly holding the titles of Distinguished Professor of Education and Senior University Scholar), like Tom Hayden (former member of YIP and retired Senator); like Jerry Rubin (former member of YIP turned stock broker – now deceased after being hit by a car crossing the street in LA); Like John Lewis (former Civil Rights Activist – beaten and bloodied on the march to Atlanta – now Representative – Georgia 5th) is far from being a “terrorist”. The fact that the Weather Underground was called ” domestic terrorists” shows little more than the Police State mindset of the US Spook agencies. Anyone who disagrees openly with that mindset is considered subversive and a threat to the paradigm.”
This from someone who has been a part of action since I was old enough to hitchhike to my first march (pre-teenager)
If you haven’t figured that out just yet then you may want to go for some reality training and get a modicum of curiosity flowing…
But then what do we expect from someone who can’t think twice about being a full supporter of the MIC? (How;’s that Halliburton stock doing?)
granpa.usthai July 1st, 2014 at 12:16 pm
I think it’s a shame that old white men like these pictured can’t even cite the first two letters of the alphabet. A before B …
2A. A WELL REGULATED MILITIA, BEING NECESSARY TO THE SECURITY OF A FREE STATE;
2B. the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
IF the people keeping and bearing arms ARE NOT MEMBERS OF A WELL REGULATED MILITIA, they are a threat to the security of a free state, as they have no concept of any regulations. to wit: Openly threatening to ‘go out and start killing people’ if a sitting POTUS does anything.; blatant acts of armed insurrection as in Nevada, actual murdering of Law Enforcement Officers – in broad daylight, random murder of citizens, massacre of elementary school children at their schools, threats, violence during any and all aspects of a citizen’s daily life. None of those acts, or acts to come add to the SECURITY OF A FREE STATE.
Those who founded the US Constitution knew full well what they were writing.
The present day NRA profiteering TERRORIST Bums are the ones who profit from an armed pack of lunatic rabble who have no regulations governing their behavior or acts of terror whenever and wherever they opt to destroy the SECURITY OF A FREE STATE.
Make gun keepers and bearers obey the same laws as the rest of US – eg -member of a WELL REGULATED MILITIA or seize their illegal weapons that empower them to be a threat to the SECURITY OF A FREE STATE.
Foundryman July 1st, 2014 at 12:19 pm
Unfortunately Granpa, there are 5 far right extremists on the Supreme Court that wouldn’t see it that way if a gun rights case would come before it.
m2old4bs July 1st, 2014 at 11:42 pm
Sadly, I have to agree.
R.J. Carter July 1st, 2014 at 12:22 pm
That’s an interesting treatise, and I’m sure your professors took that into account while delivering to you your law degree.
Foundryman July 1st, 2014 at 12:16 pm
Sounds like the type of guy the GOPTP are looking for to run against Hillary.
Bunya July 1st, 2014 at 3:52 pm
So, the U.N. is preparing for a genocidal attack on Christian Americans, huh? Well it was bound to happen, what with all the whining and crying by these religious folks about how maligned and vilified they are, their psychoses was bound to over run the last remaining bits of rational thought these goof may have possessed.
m2old4bs July 1st, 2014 at 11:40 pm
It’s in their prophesy that they’ll be persecuted before the rapture or before the end of times or something along those lines
John_St_John July 2nd, 2014 at 2:32 am
The governor of Maine germinating the seeds of rebellion?
Lwayno July 2nd, 2014 at 10:17 am
are Maine voters really that stupid?? ‘YOU BETCHA’!!