Facts First USA calls on LA Attorney General Landry to revoke Higgins status & refer him for investigation for forcefully accosting a peaceful citizen
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Facts First USA is calling on LA Attorney General Landry to revoke Congressman Higgins’s reserve officer status and refer him to the Louisiana Peace Officer Standards and Training Council to review his forceful accosting of a peaceful citizen.
“Because of Kevin McCarthy’s corrupt bargain with MAGA extremists in order to be Speaker the country is already under an assault of conspiracy theories and sham investigations of private citizens,” said Facts First USA President David Brock. “Now Congressman Higgins has turned to literal assault and is not fit to serve as a reserve officer with the Louisiana Department of Justice or as a member of Congress.”
The full copy of the letter is below:
May 22, 2023
Jeff Landry
Louisiana Attorney General
1885 North Third Street
Baton Rouge, LA 70802
Dear Attorney General Landry:
Facts First USA is a bipartisan organization focused on ensuring that our national discourse is grounded in facts and honest debate. The hallmark of such debate must be a willingness to allow those with opposing viewpoints to express themselves. This is all the more important when governmental officials are engaging with the public.
We are writing to you today because of a recent encounter between Congressman Clay Higgins and a citizen who attended a press conference that Representative Higgins was speaking at. The videos of the encounter show that Representative Higgins did not like the direct questions that the citizen was posing to Congresswoman Lauren Boebert, who was speaking at the time. Representative Higgins then forcefully accosted the citizen, shoving and forcing him away from the press conference. There have been immediate calls for the Congressman’s arrest following his assault. Our understanding is that the Capitol Police are reviewing the matter.
In December 2018, you chose to deputize Representative Higgins as a reserve officer with the Louisiana Department of Justice. At the time – and perhaps still – Representative Higgins was the only reserve officer with your office. Whatever basis you had for giving Representative Higgins this unique honor, it is clear from his recent conduct that he does not warrant such special treatment. We therefore call on you to revoke Representative Higgins’s reserve officer status, just as Lafayette City did several years ago. Further, we encourage you to refer Representative Higgins to the Louisiana Peace Officer Standards and Training Council to review his conduct.
You recently testified at a congressional hearing to discuss the purported weaponization of the government. You expressed concern over the idea of the government using its authority to target those with different viewpoints. Honest debate can be had over whether the specific instances you spoke about are grounded in facts. What is beyond dispute, though, is that if you are legitimately concerned about government being weaponized to silence critics, you have a responsibility to rescind the special status you have bestowed on Representative Higgins, who literally weaponized himself to silence someone who he disagreed with.
We hope that you will review the matter closely and consider whether Representative Higgins should be entitled to the special status as a (or the only) reserve officer for the Louisiana Department of Justice.
Sincerely,
/s/ Maria Cardona /s/ David Jolly
Maria Cardona David Jolly
Co-Chair Co-Chair
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