Iowa House member criticized for election fraud and gun posts on social media – KCRG
DES MOINES, Iowa (KCRG) -Iowa Democrats are calling on the House Speaker to remove State Representative Dean Fisher of Montour in Tama County from his committee chair position and assignments after a series of recent social media posts questioning the integrity of November’s election and making other statements that could be interpreted as threatening following the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol earlier this month.
In one social media post, Fisher wrote “The events unfolding at the US Capitol are a result of widespread mistrust of our election process, and that mistrust is laid solely at the feet of the Democratic party,” adding that “Shady practices, outright cheating, and the inability to simply count the votes in a timely fashion…are all the result of Democrat led states and cities that are earning that mistrust.”
And in response to another social media comment that wrote “well there goes our nation,” Fisher replied “we will survive. Remember, our side has the guns, the other side doesn’t know which bathroom to use.”
In a letter sent to House Republican Leaders, Iowa House Minority Leader Todd Prichard has called on Speaker Pat Grassley to remove Fisher from his role as Chair of the House Environmental Protection Committee and be stripped of his committee assignments.
“A week ago, I requested that Rep. Fisher issue a public apology, accept responsibility for false social media posts, denounce the violence he condoned in his comments, and immediately stop spreading lies and conspiracy theories about the legitimacy of our elections,” said Prichard in a statement. “Since he refuses to tell the truth and condemn violence, Rep. Fisher must be held accountable for his actions. He should immediately be removed as Chair of the House Environmental Protection Committee and stripped of his committee assignments.”
Fisher, a retired farmer, has not done so by Friday, prompting Prichard to request action by Grassley.
Grassley responded by accusing Prichard of playing partisan politics, according to the Associated Press.
“Just as we’re seeing from the left across the country, Leader Prichard clearly believes that the right to free speech should only belong to those he agrees with,” Grassley said.
When questioned about the posts by the Marshalltown Times Republican, Fisher said “It’s a phony claim, I will not give it credence.”
“After the insurrection in Washington D.C., I challenged every lawmaker in the Iowa House to hold themselves to a higher standard, commit to truth, and recognize that our words have consequences. As state lawmakers, it is beholden upon us to strengthen our democracy, not work to tear it down,” said Prichard. “This is not a problem unique to Washington D.C. and it cannot be ignored. We have to hold leaders who spread lies and conspiracy theories while alluding to violence accountable here in Iowa to make sure an insurrection never happens again…As leaders in this state, we cannot remain silent and ignore the truth while promoting violence. This is not about left vs. right or Democrats vs. Republicans. Healing the divisions in our country starts with leaders telling the truth and setting the right example for respect. Change starts with us.”
Fisher was elected to represent the Iowa House’s 72nd District in 2012.
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