A Michigan state lawmaker filed a lawsuit against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and fellow Democrats following her censure over a meeting with President Trump.
State Rep. Karen Whitsett sued in federal court Thursday, arguing that her right to free speech was violated and she was defamed, according to MLive.com.
Whitsett met with Trump at the White House on April 14, during which she thanked the president for advocating the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine and said it saved her life following her coronavirus diagnosis.
“Had you not brought this to the forefront of the HQ, of being able to put this out here, I wouldn’t be here today to even have this conversation,” she told Trump about his promotion of the drug.
“I just can’t say how wonderful it is to see your face, and thank you for everything that you have done,” she added. “I did not know that saying thank you had a political line. I did not know that. I thought just saying thank you meant thank you.”
Following that meeting, Whitsett says Whitmer sent her a nasty text message. She was unanimously censured by her fellow Democrats.
The lawsuit claims the Democratic Party in her state silenced her free speech when they “ousted” her from the party, barred her from holding any position or committee membership, and refused to endorse her in future elections.
Whitsett cited an instance where she arranged 388,680 meals to be delivered to her constituents in Detroit, but the Democratic Party leaders refused to allow the Michigan National Guard to help her distribute them.
“It’s probably full of banter and bullcrap,” Jonathan Kinloch, the chair of the 13th Congressional District Democratic Party Organization, said when asked for comment about the lawsuit after saying he had not yet read it.
Whitsett is seeking an unspecified amount of money for damages along with reimbursement of court and lawyer fees.
During a conversation with Trump in a meeting with black leaders in Ypsilanti, Michigan, on Thursday, Whitsett said, “I also took a note from you, and so I actually filed a lawsuit to the governor today as well, so I thought that you would like to know that,” to which Trump responded, “Very good.”
