Why are Spokane Republicans abandoning Matt Shea?
Concerns about Shea's abusive behavior and temperament cross party lines. Here's what Republicans, community leaders, and outside observers are saying about Shea:
"I wish to state that under no circumstances would I support Matthew Shea for any public office." 1
-Senator Bob McCaslin (R)
"Please do NOT appoint Matt Shea to fill the seat vacated by Bob McCaslin. He is dangerous enough in the House, and would be a serious menace to good governance as a Senator. The unacceptable bullying tactics just demonstrated by his supporters are only a foretaste of what we can expect if you do appoint him." 3
-Gary W. Smith, Spokane Valley 4th District Republican
"Matt Shea is not who he says he is; he has a terrible and horrific dark side...he is mentally unstable, was physically, psychologically and emotionally abusive to his ex-wife and likely committed perjury, which is a felony offense. He is truly a twisted person and should not be in elected office." 4
"As a conservative Republican I take the issues of freedom, security and family values very seriously, that's why I feel I have an obligation to tell you what you may not know about Shea. Recently Shea and his followers including the group called the Spokane Patriots have sent out emails that imply violence against PCOs. And frankly, I would tell you my real name, but I honestly fear for my safety and the safety of my family." 5
"Matt Shea is not who he says he is. He is not a pro-family man of God, but a coward and a fraud. We cannot send him to Olympia to represent us." 6
-John Smith, Anonymous Republican Source
"At this juncture in our state's history it is imperative that
we elect reasonable and intelligent representatives who are capable of
working cooperatively across party lines to deal with the very serious
issues our state is facing. Even though I've been affiliated with the
GOP in Washington state for many years, there is no more room for
blindly supporting candidates based simply on party affiliation. I'm
supporting Amy Biviano, a Democrat, because she stands in stark
contrast to her opponent. She possesses the intellect, temperament,
and leadership qualities necessary to move our state forward." 7 -Michael A. Senske, President and CEO of Pearson Packaging Systems "A Spokane Valley legislator pulled a gun during a confrontation with another motorist last November in what police reports describe as a road rage incident. He was cited for two violations of state firearms law." 8 "Republican Matt Shea, a state representative seeking a third term this fall, had a handgun in his pickup truck and had let his concealed weapons permit expire, a violation of state law, when he was contacted by Spokane police investigating reports of erratic driving and one driver threatening another with a handgun."9 "The officer asked to see the gun. "During our conversation, the defendant admitted to letting his concealed weapons permit expire several years ago," the officer wrote. Shea asked about the law on carrying concealed weapons and the officer produced a copy for him to read, then told him it was illegal to have a loaded gun in his vehicle with no permit. "His mouth became very dry (Cotton Mouth) as we continued to discuss the violation," the officer wrote. "It was obvious to me he was extremely nervous..." 10 -Spokesman Review "I personally experienced (an incident) wherein Matt Shea, State Representative from the 4th District, demonstrated spontaneous, extreme anger towards me during the 2010 Legislative Session in Olympia, Washington. 13 "Representative Shea emerged from a side door of the hearing room and began approaching me. He caught my attention because of his posture: he was walking briskly with his elbows and shoulders back, and his chin and chest forward. It was definitely an aggressive posture." 14 "...Representative Shea, in a loud voice, stated, 'What the F____!!!... Do you think you can just come over here, drop legislation on our laps without talking to us about it, and expect us to pass it?' He continued to use a number of expletives and stated that he was fed up with me coming to Olympia and talking to 'everyone but him.' People within approximately twenty feet of us clearly heard his remarks, stopped their conversations, and turned toward us to see what was going on.'"15 "I went on to explain that my schedule in Olympia puts me in a dead run doing Washington Association of County business the entire time I'm there...and that as soon as I'm done, I race to catch my plane to return to Spokane. I further reminded him that I was a single parent and had parental responsibilities in Spokane. Representative Shea then stated, 'You need to learn that if you want anything through this process, you need to talk to me first!'" 16 "As I left the conversation, I thought about claims I had heard from more than a year earlier regarding anger management claims by his ex-wife. She too, claimed that he had spontaneous, intense angry outbursts. But I was assured by friends that the claims were simply the result of a nasty divorce and that there was no evidence that any of this behavior occurred outside his marriage." 11 "Approximately one week after the exchange in the hallway, this same legislation was being reviewed by the House Republican Caucus. ... Following the meeting, I was contacted by three Republican House members (who I've known over an extended time period). Each one stated that during the discussion on the legislation, Representative Shea was asked why some members voted against the bill in the Transportation Committee when it was unanimous coming out of the Senate. I was told that Shea responded saying 'it has nothing to do with the bill...it was simply meant to send a message to a certain county commissioner.' Each of the legislators wanted me to know what was being said about me and that I should be cautious about trusting Representative Shea."17 -Republican Spokane County Commissioner Todd Mielke
