As rumors swirl after political killings, this GOP lawmaker draws a line - WaPo [View all]

To Julia Coleman, Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk were just “Melissa” and “Charlie.” Coleman, a Republican state senator, knew Hortman, a Democrat, through their work in the Minnesota legislature. The two had discussed reopening the Capitol day care center, while sitting in Hortman’s office sharing tequila and Milano cookies. Coleman was Turning Point USA’s first Minnesota employee, and Kirk, her first boss, became her friend.

On June 14, Melissa was shot dead. On Sept. 10, so was Charlie.

Coleman, 34, watched in horror as her social media feeds became clouded with a thickening haze of baseless and speculative ideas about her former colleagues’ deaths. “When I see people spreading horrible conspiracy theories that are completely based out of nothing and dishonor the person who passed away, I feel compelled to say something,” Coleman said. “More elected officials have to stop sitting on their hands and start calling it out.” That is what she is trying to do.

On the Sunday after Christmas, Coleman stood in her kitchen, making dinner for her family, when she saw a post that infuriated her. The user claimed Hortman’s assassination was connected to a fraud scandal in Minnesota, and they implied Hortman knew her life was in danger. (There is no evidence supporting either of these claims.) “This is sick,” Coleman thought to herself. She began to type.

“I am a Minnesota Republican legislator. I never agreed with Melissa. Not once. But I’m begging people to stop sharing this conspiracy theory,” Coleman wrote. “Please, unless you have evidence, stop trying to get social media clout off the death of a good person that you know nothing about.” Within 24 hours, her post attracted more than a million views. Responses have been mostly positive, she said. Coleman sees conspiracies and misinformation trending more on her own side, the political right, but believes the problem transcends partisan loyalties.

(snip)

The conspiracists have relied on a video of Hortman in tears after she voted to end a budget deadlock by supporting a spending plan that cut health benefits for people who are in the country illegally. Coleman has said that Hortman was upset because she knew people would lose health care, and that there is no evidence of any link between the shooting and the scandal, which involves allegations of improper social services payments to dozens of Somali immigrants.

More..

https://archive.ph/rJX5P