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Further action unlikely against state lawmaker accused of 'domestic terrorism'


Washington State Rep. Matt Shea, R-Spokane Valley. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
Washington State Rep. Matt Shea, R-Spokane Valley. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
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Democratic leaders of the state House of Representatives may not take any further action against a Republican lawmaker who has been accused of "domestic terrorism'' unless they get enough Republican votes to expel him.

Democratic House Speaker Laurie Jinkins of Tacoma says she needs at least nine GOP votes, along with all 57 Democrats, to boot state Representative Matt Shea of Spokane Valley from the chamber.

Jinkins says it takes a two-thirds majority of the House to expel Shea. Jinkins on Tuesday told The Spokesman-Review that Democrats plan to release the documents compiled by private investigators in a Dec. 1 report that produced the terrorism allegation.

Those supporting documents will be released in the next week or two.

Shea is a Republican representing the state's 4th District and lives in the Spokane Valley area. His current term is slated to end in 2021. In response to the report, House Republican Leader J.T. Wilcox suspended Shea from the caucus.

The report was made public Thursday, Dec. 19. It alleges three incidents when Shea helped militias and others take part in armed conflicts with government officials.

"Representative Shea is a prominent leader of the Patriot Movement. He self-identifies as a member of the Patriot Movement and shares its ideological beliefs," states a Dec. 1 report to the Washington State House of Representatives.

The report notes that Shea is an attorney and is aware of the law around his activities. It also states that there is no evidence that he "presents an imminent direct threat to any individual or group..." The report goes on, however, to say that he has "presented a significant threat of political violence against employees of the Federal Government and state and local law enforcement officers, carried out through intermediaries sympathetic to the Patriot Movement."

The Patriot Movement is a cluster of like-minded groups including militias, people who claim sovereign citizenship, people who protest taxation, and those motivated by radical religious ideologies.

3 armed conflicts

The report details that "...Investigators obtained evidence that Representative Shea planned, engaged in, and promoted a total of three armed conflicts of political violence against the United States (US) Government in three states outside of the State of Washington over a three-year period to include 2014, 2015, and 2016."

The three incidents include:

  • A 2014 armed incident in Bunkerville, Nevada. This conflict included rancher Cliven Bundy and many protesters who held a standoff with the Bureau of Land Management. Bundy argued that the federal government has no rights to own land. Bundy owed $1 million in grazing fees after refusing to pay them for 21 years. The report states that Shea sent militia leaders and called for more protesters to descend upon Bunkerville. It notes that at the start of the protest, there were 100 protesters. After Shea's call, "1,500 armed militia members were on site in Bunkerville, Nevada, armed and ready to fight the Federal Government."
  • In 2015, Shea "traveled to and engaged" in an "armed conflict at Priest River, Idaho," according to the report. The incident involved a veteran who suffered a stroke. The ailment placed the person on the National Instant Criminal Background System as not eligible to purchase firearms. A Veterans Affairs representative was scheduled to check on the veteran and inspect the home for guns. Shea called for militia members to travel to Priest River and prevent the VA from checking on the person, arguing that the federal government was confiscating the guns of a veteran. Shea and about 100 other people showed up, armed.
  • In 2016, Shea helped with the armed takeover of the Malheur National Refuge in Oregon. He also traveled to Burns, Oregon to meet with armed militia members occupying the refuge. The report states that Shea used encrypted email with code names to feed information about law enforcement activities to the militias at the refuge, as well as provided military-style operation plans. One person died in a shootout with law enforcement during the incident.
  • 8 findings

The report summarizes eight total findings, expressing other concerns about the lawmaker. They include:

  1. Representative Shea participated in an act of domestic terrorism against the United States by his actions before an during the armed takeover and standoff at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.
  2. Representative Shea engaged in intimidation tactics against a political opponent in September 2012, posted a photo of himself on his Facebook page while standing in front of the opponent's residence, and refused to remove the online photo at the request of the opponent, party affiliates, and law enforcement.
  3. Representative Shea engaged in secure online chat using the code name "Verumbellator" from October 29 through December 12, 2017 that included the identification of opposition political activities, condoned violence and intimidation, and offered to do background checks on named persons in opposition to his political ideology.
  4. Representative Shea from 2014 through 2019 condoned intimidation by supporters of his political opposition to include activists, government officials. Muslims, and others who speak or act in opposition to his personal beliefs and political agenda.
  5. Representative Shea from 2014 through 2017 engaged in counterintelligence gathering and acted in opposition to the lawful efforts of federal, state, and local law enforcement.
  6. Representative Shea in 2016 engaged in and supported the training of youth and young adults to fight a Holy war.
  7. Representative Shea wrote the Biblical Basis for War and advocated the replacement of US democracy with a theocracy and the killing of all males who do not agree.
  8. Representative Shea engaged in and promoted annual Patriot Movement militia training and readiness exercises in support of anticipated armed conflicts against federal, state, and local governments and law enforcement.

Shea garnered several headlines over the past year, which raised enough suspicion to prompt the House investigation.

Initially, one of his documents was discovered, titled "A Biblical Basis for War." Shea said it was notes on a Bible study. Critics argued otherwise saying that it was a manifesto. The document states that enemies should not engage in abortion, communism, or same-sex marriage among other rules. If they do not comply, then "kill all males." It further stated that a tyrant was a leader who rules without God, and that it was "just, not murder" to assassinate a tyrant.

A handful of other headlines included Shea over 2019. Such as, he endorsed training children to fight in a holy war. And he took part in private messages where participants were encouraging violence and surveillance of liberals in the Spokane area. Shea offered to help run background checks on the locals.

The December report notes that Shea opted to not be interviewed for the investigation, despite offers for him to respond to allegations. Shea did not respond to phone calls, emails, or certified letters asking for interviews. Instead, his lawyer responded to set up a time, but had to confer with his client. Investigators heard no further communication from Shea or his attorney before the conclusion of the investigation on Dec. 1.

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