‘Reprehensible’: GOP congressman arrested and held without bail during sexual assault investigation

Michigan State Rep. Neil Friske, a new Republican representative representing a rural district in the north of the state, is currently being held without bail and potentially facing three felony charges.

The Washington Post reported that Friske was arrested at about 3 a.m. Eastern time Thursday morning following a “nighttime incident” in which an armed man chased a woman and shots may have been fired. Although Friske has not yet been formally charged, police are reportedly requesting that prosecutors file charges of sexual assault, as well as a separate charge of assault and weapons possession.

In a statement posted on Facebook, Friske’s campaign did not appear to deny that the congressman was armed, saying he “always exercises his right given by the Second Amendment to the Constitution.” However, the statement also suggests the arrest was politically motivated, as the campaign is close to releasing mail-in ballots and a pollster with an unknown number and “ties to the state” has been calling district residents. It is unclear whether the campaign’s claims that the pollster has “ties to the state” refer to Friske’s Republican primary opponent or his competition across the aisle.

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Parker Fairbairn is running against Friske in Michigan’s August 6 primary. The Post reported that while Fairbairn insisted his opponent is innocent until proven guilty in court, he also said the congressman’s record in the House was “abysmal and immoral.”

“Neil deserves his time in court and the people of the 107th deserve better than Neil,” Fairbairn said.

The reaction of the Democrats was even more clear. Democratic Representative Phil Skaggs tweeted about the incident via his account X (formerly Twitter), saying that his colleague should “listen to his conscience and do the right thing.”

“There is no place in our legislature for someone who behaves so reprehensibly. Elected officials cannot be free from consequences when they engage in violent and harmful behavior,” Skaggs wrote. “If these allegations are true, Friske should immediately resign from the Michigan House of Representatives.”

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Friske was first elected in 2022. According to Ballotpedia, he defeated his Democratic opponent, Jodi Decker, by more than 6,000 votes out of over 47,000 cast. Decker is running unopposed in the 2024 primary, meaning she will face Friske if he survives Fairbairn’s attempt to challenge him in the primary.

A member of the Michigan House Freedom Caucus, Friske is one of the most conservative members of the state’s lower house of parliament. He has previously sponsored unsuccessful bills to implement stricter immigration regulations and restrict abortion rights. One of Friske’s failed bills would have banned the use of prescription drugs in abortions.

The 107th district is rural and firmly Republican. It represents parts of Cheboygan, Chippewa and Mackinac, as well as all of Charlevoix and Emmet counties. It has been under Republican control since 2011. Before Friske, the district was represented by Representatives John Damoose and before him by Lee Chatfield. Earlier this year, Chatfield – who served as Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives from 2019 to 2021 – was charged with several serious crimes, including embezzlement and running a criminal organization.

Click here to read The Post’s full report (subscription required).

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