Dem House Candidate’s 2013 Arrest Resurfaces in Pivotal Race for Control of Congress

MICHIGAN: Democrats looking for the perfect candidate to help them reclaim control of Congress have apparently decided that what their party needs is an environmental activist who once chained himself to industrial equipment, resisted police, and later tweeted, "Defund the Police!"

Enter William Lawrence, co-founder of the progressive Sunrise Movement and Democratic candidate challenging Rep. Tom Barrett (R-MI), in what could be one of the most closely watched House races in America.

Lawrence was arrested in 2013 during a protest against Enbridge Line 5, the 645-mile pipeline carrying crude oil and natural gas between Wisconsin and Ontario through Michigan.

In the spirit of the cretins who glue their hands to roads, Lawrence and several fellow activists chained themselves to machinery in an effort to stop the pipeline. Police eventually had to cut them loose before hauling them away. 

The defendants were charged with trespassing, as well as resisting and obstructing a police officer. According to court documents, Lawrence and three others had to be physically removed from the equipment before being arrested without incident.

In other words, Lawrence's résumé already had everything modern progressive politics requires: activism, arrest, opposition to fossil fuels and a sincere belief that government should be heavily funded, provided the government is not the police.

That last part became particularly interesting in 2020, when Lawrence posted on X, "Defund the Police!"

The following month, he got even more specific, calling for the Lansing, Michigan, police department to be defunded.

But that was then.

Asked about those comments now that he is asking voters to put him in Congress, Lawrence offered a somewhat more nuanced position, a position known as 'walking it back,' or 'flip-flopping.'

"I don't support defunding the police. I follow the lead of first responders and gun violence prevention advocates I have met with here in the district, who support increased funding for youth programs, mental health resources, and community violence intervention, working in collaboration with law enforcement."

So, apparently, "Defund the Police!" has now been upgraded to "Fund Several Things Around the Police." Lawrence thinks the American public is stupid, and anyone who considers voting for him has to fit that definition.

His campaign also emphasized that his conviction has since been expunged under Michigan law, which is certainly convenient when applying for a job that requires voters to inspect your entire political history.

Lawrence has also addressed the arrest himself. In an Instagram video earlier this year, he said he "took a stand" against Enbridge and added, "Was it righteous? Absolutely. Was it wise? Perhaps not." [Is he a dolt? Totally.]

That's a remarkably sophisticated way of saying, "I was absolutely right, although maybe getting arrested over it was not my finest afternoon."

"The fact is, they were back operating that afternoon, while my collaborators and I faced legal consequences for years," he said. "I wouldn't advise you do what I did, but my conviction remains, and you can always count on me to fight for pure Michigan and our water."

Which is reassuring. If elected, Lawrence presumably intends to fight for Michigan's water using the traditional congressional method of introducing legislation rather than chaining himself to the Capitol plumbing.

Lawrence was backed by progressive groups during his primary campaign, although he has since said he has left the Democratic Socialists of America as the general election heats up.

Naturally, that did not stop House Republicans from reminding voters that Lawrence spent considerable time swimming in the deep end of the progressive pool.

"Socialist felon William Lawrence is a radical far-left liberal who puts his extreme climate agenda ahead of common sense and the priorities of hardworking Michiganders. Lawrence’s extreme agenda makes one thing clear: he is far too radical for Mid-Michigan and can’t be trusted to put Michigan families first," NRCC spokesman Zach Bannon said.

Republicans already face an uphill battle to retain control of the House, with history suggesting that the party holding the White House generally takes a beating during midterm elections. But Democrats have their own problem.

Their increasingly energetic march toward the political left has given Republicans a potentially useful campaign strategy: simply reminding voters who some of the Democratic candidates actually are.

Lawrence's primary campaign was an upset victory over establishment-backed candidates Matt Maasdam and Bridget Brink, who previously served as U.S. ambassador to Ukraine.

Now Lawrence heads into the general election hoping to convince Michigan voters that the man who once chained himself to pipeline equipment is exactly the person they want helping write the nation's laws.

At least he has experience obstructing things.

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