Dear Friend,

Like all of you, I watched in horror on Wednesday as a violent mob, incited by President Trump, stormed the United States Capitol building in an attempt to disrupt the lawful counting of ballots and the peaceful transition of power.

On Saturday, I called on State Representative Justin Price to resign from the Rhode Island House of Representatives and for the House Republican Caucus to expel him if he refuses to do so. 

Calling on a member of another branch of government to resign is not something I decided to do without deep thought.  Differences in party affiliation, ideology and points of view are critical to a healthy democracy and good for our state.   

Representative Price does not simply have a different viewpoint.  He marched to the United States Capitol on Wednesday as part of a violent insurrection that left five dead including at least one police officer.  In the hours and days that followed, Representative Price used Twitter to spread dangerous conspiracy theories, among them that Black Lives Matter was responsible for the horrific violence perpetrated on our great nation. These types of lies incite more violence and further undermine the rule of law. 

Additionally, when the Rhode Island House of Representatives met last week, Representative Price refused to wear a mask, putting lawmakers and staff at risk.

I hope many of my fellow Rhode Islanders - Democrat, Republican and Independent - will join me in speaking up in the face of misinformation and lies that threaten to undermine our democracy.

Sincerely,

Seth