Rep. Matt Shea responds to report accusing him of discussing political violence

SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. — Spokane Valley Representative Matthew Shea responded to an investigative report by the Guardian on Monday night. The report claimed Shea discussed violence against liberal activists and offered to perform background checks against several of those activists in Spokane.

The report prompted rebukes of Shea from several of Washington’s top elected officials, including Governor Jay Inslee, Lieutenant Governor Cyrus Habib and Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich.

In a Facebook post Monday night, Shea called the article a “hit piece” and implied the author, Jason Wilson, is out to get him.

RELATED: Lawmakers react to allegations Rep. Matt Shea discussed violence, surveillance in chats

Shea did not deny the accusations in the article, but instead explained that he and his family have been routinely threatened. He wrote, “Of course I have done background checks to protect my family and my community, but that was only in response to threats already coming from the left.”

In response to Inslee saying he “strongly [condemns] both [Shea’s] rhetoric and behavior,” Shea said he “[does] not take seriously an admonition against violence from someone who routinely fails to condemn … barbaric rhetoric aimed at our President.”

Shea said he will not give into the criticism and looks forward to continuing his work in the Washington state legislature.

Read his full statement below.

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