Michigan House punishes Republican state Rep. Gary Eisen for hinting at Electoral College disruption

Michigan Republican legislative leaders pulled a GOP lawmaker from his committee assignments Monday after the lawmaker hinted he was part of a group that sought to disrupt or otherwise undermine the Electoral College vote slated to happen at the Michigan state Capitol on Monday.

Rep. Gary Eisen, R-St. Clair Township, made the comments Monday morning during an interview with Port Huron-area radio station WPHM. He was asked about the Electoral College, set to meet Monday in the state Senate chamber to cast the state's 16 electoral votes for President-elect Joe Biden.

Eisen made the comments in the context of he and others in Lansing having some sort of event, either at the Capitol or somewhere else. He said he could not rule out the possibility of violence.

Eisen also made reference to a threat he said was received regarding safety at the Capitol. He questioned the veracity of threat, however, calling it "convenient" and implying it would impede efforts for Trump supporters to contest the Electoral College proceedings.

More: After Michigan presidential electors convene, Electoral College votes head to Congress

More: Legislative office buildings in Lansing closed Monday over security concerns

House Speaker Lee Chatfield, R-Levering, denounced threats made against Electoral College members in announcing the decision to pull Eisen from his committee assignments.

“We have been consistent in our position on issues of violence and intimidation in politics — it is never appropriate and never acceptable. That is true of threats or suggestions of violence against Gov. Whitmer, Secretary Benson, Rep. Johnson and others on the Oversight committee, Republicans, Democrats, and members of the Electoral College. That applies to threats made toward public officials, and it must also apply when the public officials open the door to violent behavior and refuse to condemn it. We must do better," Chatfield said in a statement Monday morning.

“We as elected officials must be clear that violence has no place in our democratic process. We must be held to a higher standard. Because of that, Rep. Eisen has been removed from his committee assignments for the rest of the term.”

The state Capitol and legislative buildings are closed Monday, with some officials citing both COVID-19 precautions and a state Senate spokeswoman stating there was "a credible threat of violence." A Michigan State Police spokeswoman said the law enforcement agency is not aware of a credible threat of violence in Michigan.

The radio host asked Eisen to elaborate on his comments several times, saying what the lawmaker described sounded dangerous. When Miller asked whether Eisen could ensure people would not get hurt, Eisen said no.

"No. I don’t know. Because what we’re doing today is uncharted. It hasn’t been done. And it’s not me who’s doing it...It’s the Michigan Republican Party," Eisen said.

Tony Zammit, a spokesman for the Michigan Republican Party, said Monday morning he is "unaware of what Rep. Gary Eisen is referring to."

Eisen's comment came at roughly the same time that White House aid Stephen Miller said on Fox News the president's campaign planned to have alternate slates of electors from "contested states" vote for Trump.

More: Michigan's electoral college vote: Here's what happens on Monday

More: These are the 16 electors who will cast Michigan's vote for president in the Electoral College

Legal experts have told the Free Press that is not how the process works, under either Michigan law or the U.S. Constitution. But Trump and his supporters argue they have a legal path that affords them the chance to send this slated to electors to Congress.

The president and others, including attorneys Rudy Giuliani and Jenna Ellis, have suggested state lawmakers have the power to take control over which candidate receives a state's electoral votes. Shirkey and House Speaker Lee Chatfield, R-Levering, have repeatedly said they would not step in and affect the electoral process. The Republican lawmakers said as much both before and after Trump asked them to attend a meeting at the White House.

"The speakers position has not changed. Michigan will follow the law and allocate the state's electors to the candidate who won the most votes," Chatfield spokesman Giden D'Assandro said last week.

Eisen was among the 16 Michigan state lawmakers who expressed public support for a lawsuit filed by the Texas attorney general that alleged mass voter fraud in Michigan and several other swing states. The U.S. Supreme Court refused to take up the case on Friday.

Referencing the court's refusal, Eisen mentioned the need for a "Hail Mary" several times during the interview. He said whatever was planned was a long shot, but he felt compelled to act.

On Sunday, a spokeswoman for state Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, R-Clarklake, confirmed Senate facilities would be closed Monday due to a credible threat of violence. She did not provide details, but Eisen suggested he knew some information while questioning the veracity of the threat.

"So they’re going to lock us out of our offices, they’re going to lock us out of the Capitol," Eisen said during the roughly 11-minute interview.

"How convenient is that, when they’re going to sit electors today, so that we can’t support our options. Whether it was true or not, we don’t know."

Across the country, Electoral College delegates are meeting on Monday to formally cast their state's votes. Biden is slated to receive 306 electoral votes, more than the 270 needed to win the presidency.

In Michigan, state law requires the delegates to vote for the person who received the most votes. That vote is scheduled to happen at 2 p.m. in the Michigan Senate chamber.

More: House GOP removes Detroit Democrat from committees, citing 'threats' in her Facebook video

More: Whitmer: Removing Rep. Cynthia Johnson from committees goes 'too far'

Trump and his supporters believe the election was stolen from them, relying on conspiracy theories and misleading information. There is no evidence of widespread election fraud in Michigan or elsewhere. U.S. Attorney General William Barr recently said the U.S. Department of Justice had not found any proof of widespread fraud that would have changed the course of the election.

Earlier this month, Chatfield announced state Rep. Cynthia Johnson would be removed from her committee assignments following comments she made on a Facebook video. In the video, Johnson said she had a warning for "Trumpers" and used the phrase "make them pay."

On Sunday, Johnson told the Free Press she was referencing financial payments. Earlier in the video she mentions "hit 'em in their pocketbooks." Johnson has received multiple death threats after a legislative hearing where she tried to question Giuliani.

In June, Eisen made a social media post that some considered a threat against people protesting the death of George Floyd. The Facebook post included an image of ammunition and the phrase "maybe I will load up a few more mags" in response to a conversation the lawmaker said he had about possible protests in the Port Huron area, as reported by the Port Huron Times Herald.

Contact Dave Boucher at dboucher@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @Dave_Boucher1.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan Rep. Gary Eisen punished for Electoral College comments