A Democrat’s past is coming under renewed scrutiny as he runs for Michigan’s 7th congressional district.
The House candidate, Sunrise Movement co-founder William Lawrence, is back in the news as he aims to unseat Tom Barrett, R-Michigan, in one of America’s most closely watched races. Now, Fox News Digital has gotten its hands on documents that expose the past of the progressive organization’s co-founder.
“Fox News Digital obtained documents that show Lawrence was among a group of people arrested in 2013 during a demonstration against the Enbridge Line 5 pipeline, a 645-mile piece of infrastructure running crude oil and natural gas between Wisconsin and Ontario — with Michigan in between,” Fox News reported on Monday. “He and others chained themselves to machinery in protest of the pipeline, which helps the U.S. meet critical energy needs but has also been a subject of pushback by environmental groups and indigenous tribes whose land the pipeline partially runs through.”
Those arrested were charged with trespassing, resisting and obstructing, after Lawrence and three other demonstrators “had to be cut off of the equipment but were then arrested without incident.” His campaign noted that his conviction was expunged under state law, and he also addressed the arrest in a social media post in which he claimed he “took a stand” but admitted that it was not exactly a “wise” move.
“The fact is, they were back operating that afternoon, while my collaborators and I faced legal consequences for years,” he argued. “I wouldn’t advise you do what I did, but my conviction remains, and you can always count on me to fight for pure Michigan and our water.”
In an X post from May 2020, Lawrence also wrote “Defund the Police!” though a statement from this week indicates that he has moved away from that radical stance.
“I don’t support defunding the police. I follow the lead of first responders and gun violence prevention advocates I have met with here in the district, who support increased funding for youth programs, mental health resources, and community violence intervention, working in collaboration with law enforcement,” he told Fox News Digital.
“While Lawrence was backed by progressive groups in his primary election, he has since said he’s left the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) as his general race begins to heat up,” Fox News wrote.
National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) spokesman Zach Bannon declared Lawrence a “radical” who Michiganders can’t afford to elect.
“Socialist felon William Lawrence is a radical far-left liberal who puts his extreme climate agenda ahead of common sense and the priorities of hardworking Michiganders. Lawrence’s extreme agenda makes one thing clear: he is far too radical for Mid-Michigan and can’t be trusted to put Michigan families first,” he said.
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Sierra Marlee is a millennial whose hunger for the truth in a world of fake news has led her to write. Marlee also contributes to BizPac Review.
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