Republicans, Legislators And Author React To Threat In Newsletter

It has been a full day since we broke the story of an article in the Benton County Republican Committee newsletter that suggested a desire to shoot state lawmakers over their votes for the “private option” health insurance plan.

“The 2nd amendment means nothing unless those in power believe you would have no problem simply walking up and shooting them if they got too far out of line and stopped responding as representatives,” wrote Christopher Nogy, husband of Benton Co. GOP committee secretary Leigh Nogy.

The newsletter remains online as of Sunday evening and reaction from the Benton County GOP and Republican Party of Arkansas has stopped short of an apology or renouncing any of the statements.

“The letter was not approved and Mr. Nogy had no authority to submit it through the newsletter. As a committee, we respect the right of our legislators to vote based on their knowledge and feedback from the voters they represent.  We will discuss this issue further with our executive committee,” said Benton County Republican Chairman Tim Summers, who stopped short of an apology or renouncing the statement.

Likewise the state GOP pointed to Summers’ statement and did not denounce the newsletter.

“Our view is that the Chairman of the Benton County GOP, Tim Summers, is handling that situation correctly. He is on top of the matter and will be reviewing it with his executive committee. He’s taking the right approach,” said David Ray, communications director for the Arkansas Republican Party.

Meanwhile, the author of the article, Chris Nogy, responded on the Benton County Republican Committee Facebook page, where the newsletter is still promoted.

“If we cannot make these people understand that we will not tolerate this kind of breach of contract, then we lose our ability as the people to control the government. And in this age of death threats from nameless, faceless thugs, we need these folks to know that while we most likely won’t try to kill them or harm their families, they should be much more certain of our response than fearful of the actions of those who will not identify themselves,” wrote Nogy in an unapologetic response. “I believe that in a world of nameless, faceless thugs influencing our people every day, it is imperative that we become thugs with names and faces just as scary even if in a different way. If we don’t, then we lose.”

Nogy said his statement is “not a retraction” but “a clarification.”

Many state elected officials also weighed in on Twitter.

“The party that gets rid of its crazies first will be the long term majority party in Arkansas,” wrote Republican Lt. Governor Mark Darr shortly after the story broke.

“We have conservatives on both sides of this issue. Civil and respectful discussion is needed,” tweeted Republican gubernatorial candidate Asa Hutchinson.

“I disagree with his point of view, but not his right to say it,” said GOP Rep. Charlie Collins, a major advocate of the private option and supporter of Second Amendment rights, on his Twitter timeline.

“Awfully close to terroristic threatening. Puts a same-party prosecutor in an awkward position,” tweeted Democratic Rep. Nate Steel, who helped passed a law making prosecutor’s elections non-partisan in Arkansas.

Steel is referring to Arkansas law 5-54-203 which states “A person commits the offense of making a terrorist threat if, with the purpose to intimidate or coerce a civilian population or to influence the policy of a government or a unit of government by intimidation or coercion, the person in any manner knowingly threatens to commit or causes to be committed a terrorist act and thereby causes a reasonable expectation or fear of the imminent commission of a terrorist act or of another terrorist act.”

Whether the article in the Benton County Republican newsletter rises to this level or not will be a determination for the local prosecutor or city attorney, but the fact that it is even possible speaks to how extreme the article is and why the Republican Party needs to renounce it in stronger terms.

UPDATE – Leigh Nogy, secretary of the Benton County GOP Committee and wife of the article’s author, takes responsibility for the article in the county committee’s Facebook comments section saying, “I made a bad decision in publishing this letter.”