The group known as Oath Keepers is a loose network of organizations made up of former military, police, fire, and first responders — people who have taken oaths at some point in their lives to defend the Republic.
Rep. David Eastman is a member of the Oath Keepers, and for this, he is being hunted and hounded by Alaska House Democrats.
The Democrat majority members have for weeks been acting to remove Eastman from all of his committee assignments because of his association with the group, whose leaders await trial for their activities leading up to and on Jan. 6, 2021 in the nation’s capital.
The charges against Yale University graduate and Oath Keeper founder Elmer Stewart Rhodes are serious, but as of yet unproven, as his trial does not begin until April 19.
The Department of Justice charges say Oath Keeper defendants were not just engaged in mere disorderly conduct on Jan. 6 at the U.S. Capitol, but that they organized militarily well in advance to stop the peaceful transfer of power from President Donald Trump to President Joe Biden.
On Wednesday, Rhodes is scheduled to appear before the U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol. The committee, formed on a party-line vote on July 1, 2021, has been subpoenaing citizens and documents ever since to testify about what they knew and in what manner they participated in the Jan. 6 surge into the Capitol. The committee has even subpoenaed numerous Trump Administration members and advisers, and people associated with other patriotic nonprofit groups, including Women For America First and Moms for America.
Among the dozens of Alaskans who also went to Washington, D.C. on Jan. 6, 2021 to attend a Trump rally and participate in a protest was Rep. Eastman of Wasilla, who stayed a good distance from the halls of Congress the entire time.
For months, socialist organizers in Alaska political circles and their Democrat surrogates in the House have been on Eastman’s trail, to try to get him removed from office altogether, due to his membership in Oath Keepers.
But there just are not enough votes for him to be expelled by the House, and Plan B is to redline him from all of his committees.
That failed on Monday because there were evidently not enough votes, but the Democrats plan to take the matter up again when Rep. Sara Rasmussen returns. Although she is a registered Republican, the Democrats are counting on her vote to punish Eastman, who is somewhat of his own caucus most of the time. Rasmussen is said to be out due to quarantine and votes with the Democrat majority frequently.
If the House does act against Eastman, it will set a precedent for the Legislature to punish members for their associations with various legally recognized groups — groups such as the Democrat Socialists, or Black Lives Matter.
Oath Keepers is not only a legal organization, it enjoys protection by the Internal Revenue Service as a charitable, non-taxable entity. The IRS recognizes several Oath Keeper affiliates as 501(c) groups, including:
- Indiana Oath Keepers Inc.
- Oath Keepers Educational Foundation
- Oath Keepers Of Josephine County
- Oath Keepers United
- Pennsylvania Oath Keepers
- Southern Nevada Oath Keepers
- Virginia Oath Keepers Inc
- Oathkeepers, (Law Enforcement Motorcycle Club), NC
But politically motivated groups like the Democratic Party and Southern Poverty Law Center view Oath Keepers as “one of the largest far-right antigovernment groups in the U.S. today.”
In a court of law, what a nonprofit political group calls another nonprofit political group is one thing, but when a group is protected by the federal government as a charitable group, it’s quite another.
The Alaska House Committee on Committees was planning to meet at noon Tuesday to try again to remove Eastman from committees on its roster, but abruptly canceled its meeting, which had not even been advertised on the legislative calendar. That means it’s likely no floor action will be taken against Eastman on Wednesday.
The dispute is spinning the wheels of the House of Representatives, which is on Day 15 of its current 90- to 120-day session. Although Speaker Louise Stutes said this session was going to be more harmonious, she chairs the Committee on Committees, and she has verbally sneered at those defending Eastman.
Democrat Majority Leader Rep. Chris Tuck on the House floor on Monday said that some rights are simply not allowed. Tuck, who has not served in the military but has sworn an oath as a lawmaker, said there are distinct curbs on people’s free speech rights.
“We really don’t have the right to do whatever you want. It really is the right to do what’s best,” Tuck said.
But Rep. Kevin McCabe said that military men and women, when they take an oath, it’s for life, to defend against enemies foreign and domestic.
“Notice there is no expiration on that oath, Madam Speaker,” he said, saying that would be important for people to remember in coming days.
Rep. Ben Carpenter, also a veteran, spoke to the importance of defending the First Amendment rights of all Americans.
“One of the lessons I learned in the military, after I took my oath to defend this nation, is that the Marxist that sits in the tank next to me has the same rights that I do,” Carpenter said. “First among those are the right to free speech and to freely associate with the organizations that I choose.”
Carpenter continued: “If you can remove somebody from a position because you don’t like what they say or what they think, it’s only a matter of time before somebody else gets removed,” for some other topic.
Salem called, they want their pitchforks back.
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God Bless all our Veterans and State Representatives who have served honorably in the armed forces and thank you for reiterating and honoring your Oath to Protect and Defend the Constitution of the United States from all enemies foreign and domestic!
To whom do you serve? I would like to see you come to force me to conform to your idiocy.
Give them time. They will, or ban you from society.
God bless america land that i love (it is the only land i know) stand beside her and guide through the darkness with a light from above. And repent! For another kingdom is nearing as we see power shifting from the u.s of a. We are running out of time to dink around to either spend our time learn the gospel and share it. We can either get swept up in the clouds or we can get marched over. When our more righteous leaders are taken out time is shorter. Count all persecution joy when you know its because they persecute you cause they see christ strongest in you!
“The most basic question is not what is best but who shall decide what is best”
Thomas Sowell
Mr. Tuck is clearly determined that only what he thinks is best may be voiced. I suggest he take a refresher constitution course, as he (as a government rep) may not dictate what opinion anyone may hold and declare. If your argument can not stand up to the scrutiny of debate and you are in need of silencing your opposition, you have revealed yourself to be not for the people, but for power.
David Eastman is one of the only actual conservatives in the legislature. God bless him
This is what “democracy” looks like to the left.
The only thing worse than Alaska Democrats are Alaska Republicans.
I find every word written here, and earlier by Representative McCabe to be entirely true, constructive and helpful. The same people who wail about the divide between Republicans and Democrats do everything they can to widen and solidify for all time that divide. How many House members standing with Representative Eastman have put on a military uniform and served our country, and how many House members standing against him have put on a military uniform and served our country? Who has standing and who does not?
Why can we not force a leadership change in both the House and the Senate. The current structure produces nothing but chaos. Our legislature is an embarrassment to the citizens it is tasked to represent!
So… let me see if I have this right.
When a black gangbanger commits a crime, I am told not to judge all blacks
When a muslim commits an act of terrorism, I am told not to judge all muslims.
When a gay man molests a child, I am told not to judge all gays.
.
But, when one Oath Keeper is accused of committing a crime (not convicted, just accused) ALL Oath Keepers are to be judged guilty instantly.
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Got it.
Excellent point, CBMTTek!
CBMTTEK, you have just given one more, in an infinity of possible such, examples of the glaring and cynical hypocrisy of the radical left.
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But you have to remember, unlike you and I, for a radical leftist EVERY ploy, rhetorical nonsense and outright lie is fair game in their all-consuming pursuit of raw, naked power. It is ALL about gaining and exercising power with these people, any other consideration such as honesty, decency, truth, fairness or respect is not just secondary in that pursuit of power, it is entirely irrelevant to them, and seen only as a weakness.
Marxist think they know the truth like religions think they do and are just, right and holy to reach the truth any way they can. These are the good whites and all others are evil.
Entirely correct and on-point, Aunt Dot.
Marxists and radical leftists of every flavor are as fundamentalist and unwavering in their dogmatic religious views as any Holy Roller, its just that the object of their religion and their devotion, that being governmental power, is different from that of the snake handlers and the speakers-in-tongues.
Wow, what a great way to tie up the House and avoid dealing with the budget and the PFD. It is an election year after all.
well have any of the other politicos in the AK leg supported BLM, antifa , mmfsj or any other far left ideological organizations. If these tankies pull this BS with eastman some of his colleges should start up an investigation.
but they probably don’t have the stones
The more time politicians find bickering amongst the less time they have to screw their constituents
2. We will NOT obey orders to conduct warrantless searches of the American people.
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3. We will NOT obey orders to detain American citizens as “unlawful enemy combatants” or to subject them to military tribunal.
The problem with the legislators is, only 10 out 40 have ever taken and understand a real oath to this country and was ready to lay down there life if need be.
Stop these socialist and Bush RINOs from destroying the nation and state!
Long Live the Republic.
Initially, let me observe that the Southern Poverty Law Center is a hate group. They generally persecute people exercising their religious rights – particularly Christians. The SPLC is deeply corrupt. Their opinion about anything is worthless.
Once the Legislature heads down this path, it will be increasingly difficult to make meaningful distinctions when others are in power. At times in the past, some labor unions have been found to be corrupt criminal enterprises. Should the potential new “Eastman” rule be applied to disqualify legislators with membership in or association with such labor unions? Representative Tuck? Senator Wielechowski? And, as mentioned, what about ANTIFA and BLM?
Perhaps the Democrats in the State House could pass a resolution declaring members of the Federalist Society or the Republican Party as “Enemies of of People”. Just an idea.
This is just a nasty extension of “cancel culture”. It is deeply polarizing and a waste of public resources.
And the neo-Bolshevik attempted purge of liberty-loving Americans, and of ANY political opinions that differ from those of the dogmatic and radical fascist left, now marches into Alaska.
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We are at war, people, whether you want to admit it to yourselves or not.
This country is now in a civil war, a battle for its very soul.
Which side do you support? Because you WILL be forced to take a side.
You see what’s going on here don’t you? This Eastman is a man who stands close to his principals, he isn’t evidently very popular in his own party and he is loathed by the Democrats. Adding to this he appears to be both intelligent and quite unconcerned about what the other politico’s say and or think about him. He wins his elections in his district by large margins also. He is the man who just don’t fit in , contrary to the culture within the Politico Class and unbending to their silly rules.
I recall learning about primitive societies in College. Witch Doctors had little trouble in making outlandish charges against those that were different and or might be a future rival for them. Surly this occurred during most of the middle ages with the Witch Hunts. This is no different. Today it’s Eastman because he is a member of “Oath Keepers”, maybe tomorrow it will be Chris Tuck, after all he is a Crazy Pro-Life fellow? Oh and isn’t Kelly Merrick also pro-life? Remember that this is how all totalitarian states begin, by demonizing free speech, individual freedoms are next and in the end you conform and comply or you will go bye bye…
I hope that certain members of the House wise up and real fast.
Sara would be wise to remeber that the Matsu is a growing community. We got the winter games this year and are strong condenders for the world leg wrestling championships in 2024.
For #$%^&’s sake! Every year we watch these idiots bluster and preen, playing their silly games instead of doing the business of the State. Then we have to watch them get paid for “attending” their special sessions so they can continue doing nothing and draw even more per diem pay.
ENOUGH! Stop the BS and get to work. DO YOUR DAMN JOBS!
Eastman is unfit in many ways. He should be voted out at Election time. Hopefully we will get better choices this year.
So, move to his district and vote him out. I note that the Republican Establishment ran a candidate against him last time… Eastman won. I guess “fitness” is in the eye of the beholder. BTW, I do not live in Eastman’s district, I refer warmer climes.
I heard Biden say that no amendment(the Constitution) is absolute in a speech he delivered in New York City today 2/3/2022). Although he was speaking about the 2nd Amendment, the 1st Amendment has also been trashed by those of the Cancel Culture when they won’t allow businesses whose owners do not agree with them, let alone the professors and teachers that disagree with them to even have means for earring a living . Eastman was one of the few last year that let Alaskans know through his articles in Must Read Alaska what was really going on in the legislature. When I swore allegiance to the USA and to uphold the Constitution as a new service member, I really had no idea how important it was. That only became more apparent as this country became less a land of the free and more of a land where you better keep your mouth shut to survive. That oath is still in force, and will be until the day I die. There are so many I may disagree with, but I will defend their right to speak up, and also the innocent until proved guilty backbone of our society. Once we let the legislature or any other group start cancelling people for what they say or think, we are departing from the basis of our freedoms. Long live our Constitution.
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