“I’m not going to let anybody lie about what happened on January 6th. That was not a peaceful protest - it was a violent riot." - former Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn.

Green Bay, WI—Tuesday, Dr. Kristin Lyerly’s opponent Tony Wied made it clear that he supports January 6th insurrectionists and clarified that he’d refuse to stand up for the rule of law in Congress. Speaking at a gathering at OneWay Church, Wied was asked by a January 6th insurrectionist about his opinion on the riot and former Congressman Gallagher’s condemnation of them. In his response, Wied stood by the January 6th insurrectionists and implied they should be released from prison:

• January 6th Insurrectionist: “What’s your opinion of January 6th? The reason I asked was that as I was there, I parted ways with [Mike] Gallagher over his rhetoric after it. So what did you think about it? What do you think about people that are sitting in jail? Because of what our DOJ did to them, and because you may be in a position when you get elected to do something to turn that around, and that's not going to be an easy job.”

• Tony Wied: “First off, you have every right. You have a First Amendment. You have every right to protest. And the people there, overwhelmingly, were just protesting. … And what happened there is an atrocity, and I will absolutely fight to make sure that those are, those people are out of jail”… “You have every right to protest. This is a free country, but it is very concerning, and I will work on that, and so will President Trump.”

Dr. Lyerly recently launched “Law Enforcement for Lyerly” with national and local law enforcement professionals, including two of the officers who defended the US Capitol on January 6th. Harry Dunn and Daniel Hodges agree that Congress needs Representatives who support law enforcement, democracy, and the rule of law as a rule - not an exception.

“I’m not going to let anybody lie about what happened on January 6th. That was not a peaceful protest - it was a violent riot. This election is about accountability. Tony Wied’s words about respecting law enforcement officials ring hollow. You can’t say you respect the rule of law while suggesting that the J6 rioters who attacked Capitol police officers, shouted racial epithets, and planned to prevent the peaceful transfer of power don't belong in prison,” former Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn said in response to Wied’s comments.

“I didn’t see any peaceful protestors at the Capitol that day. The people who attacked me and my fellow officers on January 6th are facing the consequences of their actions, like anyone else who commits a crime. Suggesting that the DOJ was politically motivated directly undermines our justice system and law enforcement officials.” Officer Danny Hodges added.

“Wisconsin Eight voters want bipartisan, independent leaders, not puppets who cow to their party leadership and the insurrectionists who stormed our capitol.  The contrast in this race could not be clearer - Dr. Lyerly will be a member of Congress in the mold of Mike Gallagher and Steve Kagen; Tony Wied will only look out for his party’s fringes. His comments are disappointing but unsurprising, ” Lyerly spokesperson Kurt Frewing said.