By Jon King / jking@whmi.com


Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin is calling out her challenger after he announced a campaign event with a man who has posted to social media that Gov. Whitmer is responsible for the plot unveiled this week to kidnap and kill her, while also comparing the arrests to the “tyranny” of Saddam Hussein.

In a release late Friday afternoon, 8th District Democrat Elissa Slotkin called on Republican Paul Junge to cancel his scheduled campaign event Friday night with Alan Hoover at the Oakland County Republican Party headquarters in Bloomfield Hills. Hoover, a Marine reservist who Junge defeated in the August Republican primary, made a series of social media posts in the hours after the plot against Whitmer became public that repeated the plotters’ description of Whitmer as a tyrant, accused her of staging the plot, and even compared their arrests to Saddam Hussein’s treatment of his enemies.

Elissa Slotkin for Congress spokesman Gordon Trowbridge said: “Yesterday, Paul Junge condemned the foiled plot against Governor Whitmer. Tonight, he’s campaigning with a conspiracy theorist who claims Governor Whitmer tried to stage her own kidnapping and compared the arrests to Saddam Hussein’s tyranny. This isn’t about politics. It’s about right and wrong. Mr. Junge has in the past been, to be kind, inconsistent in his willingness to condemn violent groups in this district. Now, amid a deadly plot against our government, he should immediately cancel tonight’s event with Alan Hoover and fully repudiate Hoover’s bizarre and harmful statements.”

Hoover’s posts on social media have included both a Facebook and Twitter post that repeat the characterization of Whitmer by the plotters as a “tyrant” who decided to “stage a kidnapping plot.” Another Twitter post claims the plotters had been improperly “arrested for words.” Other posts claims the plotters were arrested merely “for holding meetings and sharing words” about “removing the Michigan governor from office” and that they had been arrested in “the same manner that Sudam Hussein captured, tortured and executed Iraqi's (sic) that spoke against his tyranny.” They also claim, in contradiction to documents seized by state and federal authorities, that the plotters were actually left-wing or antifa protesters.

Meanwhile, another of Junge’s primary challengers, Mike Detmer of Howell, is also repeating on social media many of the same claims. Neither Hoover nor Detmer has produced any proof to back up the allegations, which contradict the sworn statements and other documents produced by state and federal law enforcement authorities, including U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, Matthew Schneider, who was appointed by President Trump. At Thursday’s press conference, Schneider spoke about the case and the effort to break up the plot. 'All of us in Michigan can disagree about politics. But those disagreements should never, ever amount to violence,' Schneider said. 'Because of the hard work of the men and women of law enforcement, police officers and federal agents, violence has been prevented today.'

Also speaking out was Republican Michigan House Speaker Lee Chatfield, who tweeted; “The plot to attack legislators and the Governor was evil. These terrorists should be prosecuted swiftly. And we won’t overcome this by pointing fingers or assigning blame. Let’s come together. Let’s be one voice. Let’s send a message: violence will not be tolerated in America.”

A request was sent to Junge’s campaign asking him to comment on the whether he also subscribes to the claims made by Hoover. His Campaign Manager Rob Wagener released this statement: “For someone who claims to want more civility in politics, ignoring Paul’s clear condemnations of racism and white supremacy and the plot against Governor Whitmer shows her blatant dishonesty. Paul met with citizens at the local Republican Party office and each individual speaks for themselves. Elissa Slotkin will try anything to distract from her liberal voting record and support for Nancy Pelosi’s Agenda.”