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Surprising absolutely no one in the Inland Northwest, two of the Patriot Front members crammed into the U-Haul this weekend are connected to a church helmed by former Rep Matt Shea. Who is that, you ask? *deep inhale* A thread:
Shea is a former Washington state representative who represented Spokane Valley. In that position, he took the time to travel to both the 2014 and 2016 armed standoffs helmed by the Bundys; invited Oath Keepers head Stewart Rhodes to discuss battle tactics over tacos…
Here’s a story I wrote about him in Rolling Stone four years ago, after local reporters had been covering him for ages. Time flies when you’re having … um: https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/matt-shea-washington-state-liberty-744850/amp/
Shea also took spiritual guidance from The Byrds , a couple who runs a “covenant community” called Marble, in NE WA. Barry is of the framers of Christian Identity, a racist belief system that had been preached at the Aryan Nations. More on that here: https://longreads.com/2019/07/18/bundyville-the-remnant-chapter-four-the-preacher-and-the-politician/
In 2018, former Shea acolytes leaked a manifesto he wrote - and claimed credit for - called the “Biblical Basis for War,” which called for war if abortion and same sex marriages were not stopped: https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2018/oct/26/rep-matt-shea-takes-credit-criticism-for-document-/?amp-content=amp
In the second season of Bundyville (the audio version), we reported that Shea was helping train a youth militia at Marble called “Team Rugged.” More on Marble here: https://longreads.com/2019/07/19/bundyville-the-remnant-chapter-five-the-remnant/
A lot has happened since then. For one, the House in Washington issued a report that Shea had participated in domestic terrorism, and he didn’t run for re-election: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/washington-state-rep-matt-shea-engaged-in-domestic-terrorism-against-the-u-s-says-state-house-inquiry/
Shea parlayed his oratory skills and fanaticism into a new gig: the leader of a church called “On Fire Ministries,” and continuing to lead the “Church at Planned Parenthood”: https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/may/27/shawn-vestal-matt-shea-out-at-tcapp-over-schism-wi/
Guess who else was at the CDA Pride rally to protest this Saturday? On Fire Ministries and Shea: https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2022/jun/11/large-group-of-masked-men-detained-in-coeur-dalene/
There is so much more to say about Shea - Anti vaccine rallies! The state of Liberty! Ukrainian orphans! - but I will stop here because I need more coffee. Follow the great work of local reporters: @SpokesmanReview @danielwinlander @MelissaKXLY4 @vestal13
