House Republican leaders went “too far” when they removed state Rep. Cynthia Johnson, D-Detroit, from her legislative committees on Wednesday due to comments she made on a controversial Facebook video, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Thursday.
Whitmer said she has asked House Speaker Lee Chatfield, R-Levering, and Speaker-elect Jason Wentworth, R-Clare, to reconsider their decision to pull Johnson from her committees.
“I think this is a woman who has been through a lot. And I think it’s important that every single one of us give one another a little bit of compassion and grace,” Whitmer said, noting Johnson has had a loved one in the hospital.
“In the simple requirement that she show up to do her job last week at a hearing with Rudy Giuliani — where she was exposed to COVID, frankly, and everyone who was there was — has now made her the target of a lot of racist attacks and threats on her life. None of this is acceptable. None of it is acceptable.”
More: House GOP removes Detroit Democrat from committees, citing ‘threats’ in her Facebook video
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Whitmer did not specifically respond to the direct statements Johnson made in the video, deemed threatening by Republican legislative leaders.
“We all need to put our focus on our common enemy, which is COVID-19. Any action that happens in the Legislature in the coming days or weeks should be focused on that and that alone, keeping one another safe,” Whitmer said.
Chatfield and Wentworth announced Wednesday the comments Johnson made in her video were threatening, saying Johnson would be pulled from her committee assignments because of the video.
“Threats to either Democrats or Republicans are unacceptable and un-American. They’re even more unbecoming of an elected official,” Chatfield and Wentworth said in a joint statement Wednesday.
On Thursday, national United Auto Workers union president Rory Gamble also sent a letter to Chatfield and Wentworth expressing “profound disappointment” in their decision to pull Johnson off of committees.
“Limiting her ability to represent her constituents by serving on committees will only further polarize our fractured state and nation,” Gamble wrote, in a letter co-authored with Chuck Browning, a regional UAW official.
“Representative Johnson is a dedicated public servant who has served her community and fought for working people throughout her career. … She was targeted for questioning Rudy Giuliani about his dangerous, unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud and attempts to disenfranchise tens of thousands of people. Claims that have torn at the fabric of our democracy and serve to undermine voters’ faith in our elections.”
The UAW represents approximately 400,000 active auto workers and another roughly 1 million retired employees. The union endorsed President-elect Joe Biden well in advance of the November election.
More: Trump says Rudy Giuliani has COVID-19 days after maskless hearing in Michigan
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Johnson recently attempted to question Giuliani during a legislative hearing related to the election. She asked a witness to spell her name and whether Giuliani thought he and President Donald Trump were honest men.
Giuliani was hospitalized Sunday with COVID-19. While Chatfield has said Giuliani tested negative for the disease before coming to Michigan and he does not believe the attorney was contagious, local and state health officials say it is “extremely likely” Giuliani was contagious while in the state.
After the hearing, Johnson posted death threats she received. Several voicemails she posted to Facebook included racist language and threats that she would be lynched.
In an at times rambling video Johnson posted Tuesday to a Facebook page, the representative issued what she called a “warning to Trumpers.”
“Be careful. Walk lightly. We ain’t playing with you. Enough of the shenanigans. Enough is enough,” Johnson states in the video.
“And for those of you who are soldiers, you know how to do it. Do it right. Be in order. Make them pay. I love y’all.”
In the same video, Johnson also called on supporters to “hit ’em in their pocketbooks” and thanks people for “doing things right and in order.” Johnson has not responded to calls and emails seeking comment.
Thursday morning, Johnson posted a statement alluding to something that would happen later in the day.
“Peace be still. There is a big reveal later on today. Look out for it. All I can say is, shame on Michigan’s House leadership on both sides! Get yourselves ready to apologize to me publicly!!” Johnson wrote.
In a statement Wednesday, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel condemned both people threatening Johnson and the comments Johnson made on her video.
Johnson served on the House Oversight, Agriculture and Families, Children and Seniors committees.
Contact Dave Boucher at [email protected] or 313-938-4591. Follow him on Twitter @Dave_Boucher1.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Whitmer: Removing Rep. Cynthia Johnson from committees goes ‘too far’
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Give her the same “compassion” this anti-American Socialist law breaking governor Witmer has given all the businesses here in Michigan…. as they all go out of business.
WHICH IS NO compassion, what so ever…
“So, this is just a warning to you Trumpers. Be careful. Walk lightly. We ain’t playing with you. Enough of the shenanigans. Enough is enough,” Johnson states in the video. “And for those of you who are soldiers, you know how to do it. Do it right. Be in order. Make them pay.”
Whitmer Says Removing Democrat Who Threatened Trumps Supporters Is Wrong; She Needs ‘Compassion And Grace’…. Huh??
Do the Democrats Grinchen Witchmer, Nasty Nancy Pelosi, Maxine Waters, Adam Schiff, Chuck Schumer, Kamala Harris, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley or “Crooked Hil-Liar-y” give ‘Compassion and Grace’ to us “Deplorables” the Trump supporters or do they just give us hate and malicious attacks??
They give hate and malicious attacks.. SO WE SHOULD respond in kind!
Compassion?
That is rich coming from Grinchen Witchmer, the terror of Michigan, who would destroy people’s livelihood, mental health, liberty to save them from a virus which was vastly less of a threat to their lives.
This is really just more of her sociopathic thinking were she is playing them into excusing someone who threatens others lives, to learn which buttons she can push so as to get away with what she has done, because she does not know the first thing about compassion.
I wonder. IF A CONSERVATIVE representative, had said what she did, in relation to “conservatives need to arm up and make clinton supporters pay”, WOULD WITCHMER still be saying “She needs compassion”. OR WOULD She be leading the charge , to get him fired/jailed…
Compare this to the compassion and grace shown to Sarah Palin when she simply used a target to show targeted political areas.
Her campaigns choice of icons was twisted into a threat by Democrats.
This is a Democrat, who has never spoken a word against rioters, speaking in plain threats, unveiled. Obviously it’s harmless.
Yep, Gretchen, Rep. Cynthia Johnson is a communist, therefore we should be compassionate toward her. This is my Governor in my home state of Michigan?
I don’t even live in michigan, but i feel SICK THAT THIS witch, is the leader of that state.
To hell with that! Compassion and grace? How much compassion and grace do you think would have been shown to a Republican who ranted and raved about killing Democrats like that? And let’s be clear here, that is EXACTLY what t his NUT CASE was inciting her fellow Demmunists to do.
She is lucky she was not forced out of Congress altogether. Don’t know about YOU, but I’m BEYOND tired of being “tolerant” or showing ANY compassion and grace to these conniving, America-hating LOONS who are tearing our country apart with their CEASELESS lust for power and control over ALL OF US, so they can KILL or imprison anybody who dares disagree with them. Isn’t that where COMMUNISM ALWAYS ends up? And that is where we are headed, if these LOONS are allowed to ILLEGALLY take control of the country with this DISGRACEFUL SHAM of a FRAUDULENT election. This HAG needs to have a rag stuffed in her big mouth, and sit down and SHUT UP.
As i’ve often remarked, its CAUSE WE have been TOO TOLERANT, for too long, towards te leftists RHETORIC and activities, that the left has GOTTEN THIS POWERFUL and hate filled towards us conservatives..
I remember that once upon a time, the answer was “Tough Love” and not “enabling” behavior!
This is how and why folks continue to get away with this kind of garbage- because there are no consequences for their actions!
This is how/why folks like Maxine Waters, Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi, and Kamala Harris are able to make public threats with no consequences for their angry inciting speech, and their followers are encouraged to riot and loot at will, and then the DA’s that have been funded by S0r0s allow them back onto the streets, (unless the police have been told to stand down when they are performing what the media describes as “peaceful protesting”!
“I think this is a woman who has been through a lot.”
Who has NOT been through a lot this year? Democrat politicians and their staff members.
SHE still has a home. Still has a FULL pay check.. EXACTLY What suffering has this witch been through!
Removing her from office does not go far enough. She should be charged with recklessly inciting violence, mayhem and death.
They didn’t remove her from office–they just removed her from the Congressional committees she was on. This LOON is still up there drawing a Congressional paycheck for inciting MURDER against Trump supporters. Is this a great country, or what? Great for the Demmunists. Not so much for the REST OF US who are being placed at the mercy of these conniving, power-mad SOBs!
PROOF we no longer HAVE Any justice…
She made open threats of violence, she belongs behind bars.
For a real long time!!!
She’s a (N)asty CHIP way past the point of no return and should be removed.
Unfortunately, they won’t let me post what I really think of Whitmer.
She deserves the same compassion and grace that liberals have been heaping on Trump supporters and Pres. Trump since election night 2016. You reap what you sow.
Yea, the same compassion that has seen DOZENS of trump supporters being beaten and hospitalized, that’s seen dozens of them SHOT AND killed….