GOP lawmaker says neo-Nazi comments taken out of context in debate over paramilitary training

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A Republican state lawmaker is accusing Democrats of misrepresenting her remarks to make her sound like a Nazi sympathizer during a debate about a bill to restrict paramilitary training in the state.

Rep. Laurel Libby, of Auburn, was speaking in opposition to the proposal, which she considers unconstitutional, when she talked about media coverage of neo-Nazi demonstrations last year in Maine.

“Let’s talk about the Nazis,” Libby said Wednesday on the House floor while making a point about freedom of expression. “I would like to know what they did, in detail if folks would like to share, that was wrong, that infringed on another person’s right. Holding a rally, and even holding a rally with guns, is not illegal,” she said.

The Maine House Democratic Campaign Committee shared the video clip on social media. “We won’t stand for this MAGA extremism in Maine. Check out who we have running against her,” the Democratic committee wrote, directing viewers to Libby’s opponent, Democrat Dan Campbell.

On Sunday, Libby described the views of Nazis and neo-Nazis as “reprehensible” but she also had harsh words for Democrats, calling the video clip “deceitful” and “a fundraising stunt.”

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“It was taken completely out of context. I find it to be pretty disgusting, frankly, and manipulative,” she said. “Everyone who’s watching that clip thinks I’m a 1930s and ‘40s Nazi sympathizer,” she added.

The bill to limit paramilitary training came in response to a prominent neo-Nazi and white supremacist, Christopher Pohlhaus, attempting to create a training center for a “blood tribe” on property in northern Maine.

The proposal sponsored by Democratic Rep. Laurie Osher of Orono requires one more vote in the Senate for final passage after clearing the House by a one-vote margin on Wednesday.

Libby said the bill is unconstitutional. “The bottom line is it doesn’t matter whether I agree or disagree with a group. It is my job to protect Mainers’ right to free speech and association as long as it doesn’t infringe on someone else’s right and as long as they’re not harming someone else. That is the proper role of government,” she said.

Democratic Sen. Joe Baldacci, who supports the bill, said the proposal passes constitutional muster because it regulates not speech but conduct — setting up a shadow military force for purposes of civil disorder. Failure of the bill to pass would serve as an “open invitation for extremists to come back to Maine,” the senator said.

“Resorting to violence should not be the American way, ever,” Baldacci said. “It’s an important issue. We can’t let it happen in Maine. We need to give law enforcement the tools to stop it.”