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LIG says allegations about Rep. Miller (no relation) are unfounded

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Illinois

Allegations that Republican state Rep. Chris Miller helped incite the Jan. 6 insurrection were “unfounded,” the Legislature’s watchdog found after conducting an investigation.

Whether comments the downstate cattle farmer made in Washington, D.C., that day represented conduct unbecoming a legislator was “a closer question,” Legislative Inspector General Carol Pope conceded.

But while she found Miller’s remarks at a rally “intemperate,” “distasteful and not excusable,” Pope said she could not label them “conduct unbecoming” a legislator – given the tenor of remarks being made by other legislators across the nation at the time.

“While my office recognizes the importance of free speech, it also recognizes there are limits to the types of speech that benefit from protection,” Pope wrote in an email to Miller. “My hope is that you will not exceed those limits in the future.” […]

Calling Pope’s opinion on the U.S. Capitol insurrection “a complete exoneration,” Illinois Republicans are now calling on Democrats to remove from the record a resolution condemning Miller, dubbing it “false and slanderous.”

That won’t happen, however. Go read the rest.

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Jun 3, 21 @ 12:30 pm

Comments

There is a very fine line that some of these Republicans are walking. Just look at Matt Gaetz and his loud mouthed friend Marjorie Taylor Greene right now and there, cleverly named, “America First” rallies. Hopefully, when they inevitably come to Illinois to try and stir up trouble in Kinzinger’s district the legislature has a resolution against them that Republicans vote Yes on too.

Comment by CMZ Thursday, Jun 3, 21 @ 12:41 pm
===“conduct unbecoming” a legislator – given the tenor of remarks being made by other legislators across the nation at the time.===

Great. I’m glad to see that our institutions are emboldening the guys that advocate for violence against the rightfully elected government of the United States of America.

Comment by Candy Dogood Thursday, Jun 3, 21 @ 12:46 pm
– in an interview with Miller he promised to “lower the temperature” of his future remarks. –

Everything about this report is sloppy, but this stands out as one of the worst ways to handle an investigation I’ve ever seen.

“I promise not to again say the things I said, that you just officially ruled were not in violation of anything.”

Come on.

Karl Popper would be screaming from the rooftops for everyone to pay close attention to this perfect example of the paradox of tolerance.

Comment by TheInvisibleMan Thursday, Jun 3, 21 @ 12:51 pm
== given the tenor of remarks being made by other legislators across the nation at the time. ==

This is literally the playbook of the craziest radical fringe. Normalize crazy behavior, so that you can no longer call them out for crazy behavior.

Comment by Homebody Thursday, Jun 3, 21 @ 12:58 pm
=given the tenor of remarks being made by other legislators across the nation at the time=

Is that the new standard now? If enough other people are doing it, it’s okay?

Comment by Steve Polite Thursday, Jun 3, 21 @ 1:11 pm
=given the tenor of remarks being made by other legislators across the nation at the time=

Agreed, Steve Polite. What in the heck?

Comment by Ducky LaMoore Thursday, Jun 3, 21 @ 1:26 pm
She’s write an email, but won’t release the report? Very ethical.

Comment by Precinct Captain Thursday, Jun 3, 21 @ 1:42 pm
This is exactly what I expect from the Party of Reagan.

Comment by Cheryl44 Thursday, Jun 3, 21 @ 2:13 pm
So, there’s no fixed standard the LIG is using.

It’s all relative to the anti-democratic deviancy of some subset of other lawmakers.

And, all due respect, the LIG has neither the resources, capabilities nor time to have been able to evaluate Rep. Miller’s role in the events of Jan 6. The national GOP’s desperation to prevent an inquiry is because they are afraid of what it may find about the role of elected officials on that terrible day.

Her credulity about the 3% sticker is laughable.

Miller’s “Complete exoneration” claim is, no doubt, purposefully selected Trumpist language - a la the claims about he Mueller Report.

Comment by Moe Berg Thursday, Jun 3, 21 @ 2:39 pm
So this bit, where Miller says Trump supporters “engaged in a great cultural war to see which worldview will survive. Whether we will remain a free people under free market capitalism or whether they will put us under the tyranny of socialism and communism and dangerous Democrat terrorists” is clearly unbecoming. And the sheer GALL of Miller claiming he’s being persecuted when he was calling democrats tyrants and terrorists while his “friends” were, at that very moment, engaged in terrorism takes my breath away. Good on Morgan for standing strong.

Comment by Perrid Thursday, Jun 3, 21 @ 5:53 pm