Matt Shea, a former Washington GOP state Representative who was accused of domestic terrorism in relation to his role in a series of standoffs with federal authorities, has sparked alarm after gathering more than 60 Ukrainian children in an attempt to facilitate their adoption in the United States.
Shea is currently in Kazimierz Dolny, a small town in Poland. His behavior has disturbed others, including Weronika Ziarnicka, an aide to the town's mayor who in an interview with The Seattle Times said Shea "told me that it’s not my business" when she questioned him about what he intended to do with the children.
“I got the feeling in my gut that something’s wrong with this guy; he didn’t want to tell me his last name," she added at the same time mayor Artur Pomianowski said the "case is being investigated and clarified by the relevant authorities."
Pomianowski later communicated his concerns to The Seattle Times in an email, noting Shea has been acting suspiciously:
"I do not know what Matt Shea and his friends are doing here around children. Mr. Shea and his friends have given us some contradictory information and, for that reason, it is difficult for us to trust them."
Shea is a highly controversial figure in Washington politics.
A noted extremist, he once published a manifesto which called for the killing of non-Christian males and has long advocated for the installation of a Christian theocratic state.
In fact, Shea and his supporters have advocated seizing control of their corner of the Pacific Northwest following the outbreak of a civil war that would culminate with him being declared the leader of a Christofascist state.
Given his violent history, many have expressed alarm and outrage at Shea's actions, accusing him of engaging in human trafficking.
Others called for further investigation.
So this terrorist is now planning on trafficking children. And no one is stopping himhttps://twitter.com/joshtpm/status/1504273604585959426\u00a0\u2026— earth dweller (@earth dweller) 1647608591
White saviorism makes me sick and I hope that these children are protected from this man (Matt Shea) and anyone else who has a hand in this.https://twitter.com/joshtpm/status/1504273604585959426\u00a0\u2026— Sax Penny, MT-BC (@Sax Penny, MT-BC) 1647597086
Shea is a proven domestic terrorist & Christo-fascist. His presence is not needed in Poland. What does he want w/ Ukrainian children & why does he want them dropped off in TexasHis intensions are usually based on hate. We need to intervene NOW. (Read )\n#ONEV1 #DemCast #Freshhttps://twitter.com/joshtpm/status/1504273604585959426\u00a0\u2026— \u15f7ridget \uea00\ud83c\udf3b PASS VOTING RIGHTS NOW \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@\u15f7ridget \uea00\ud83c\udf3b PASS VOTING RIGHTS NOW \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1647605090
Maybe this is something the @FBI should take a closer look at? #HumanTrafficking ?https://twitter.com/joshtpm/status/1504273604585959426\u00a0\u2026— Thomas \u261c Unfiltered \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 Fuck Putin (@Thomas \u261c Unfiltered \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 Fuck Putin) 1647543824
So someone at the @StateDept is looking into this right?https://twitter.com/joshtpm/status/1504273604585959426\u00a0\u2026— D.B. Miller (@D.B. Miller) 1647552307
This isn\u2019t suspicious at allhttps://twitter.com/joshtpm/status/1504273604585959426\u00a0\u2026— MostlyMature (@MostlyMature) 1647580687
Yeah, we weren\u2019t exaggerating. Matt Shea is dangerous. So are murky international evangelical adoptions of children whose status is not clear. https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/04/christian-evangelical-adoption-liberia/\u00a0\u2026https://twitter.com/joshtpm/status/1504273604585959426\u00a0\u2026— Annika Brockschmidt (@Annika Brockschmidt) 1647555741
Does this smell like an attempt at child trafficking to anyone beside me?https://twitter.com/joshtpm/status/1504273604585959426\u00a0\u2026— ADHDean (@ADHDean) 1647517445
This is child trafficking.https://twitter.com/joshtpm/status/1504273604585959426\u00a0\u2026— Minh Ngo (@Minh Ngo) 1647521052
The masculine urge to use those fine-honed domestic terrorist skills in order to take advantage of a war-dazed people and kidnap and traffic children to populate his far-Right theocratic 51st State.https://twitter.com/joshtpm/status/1504273604585959426\u00a0\u2026— Bacon & Zombies \ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udde7\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf2\ud83c\udde8\ud83c\udde6 (@Bacon & Zombies \ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udde7\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf2\ud83c\udde8\ud83c\udde6) 1647523166
According to Ziarnicka, the mayoral aide, and Joanna Stefańska, who both run a foundation that "funds various children’s initiatives and events in Kazmierz Dolny," they grew concerned when they heard from colleagues that "an American pastor by the name of Matt Shea was not allowing Polish volunteers or doctors to visit the Ukrainian children."
Shea was combative, Ziarnicka said, recalling that he was angry that she brought police and refused to allow her to speak to any legal guardians.
MARCO BERTORELLO/AFP via Getty Images
MARCO BERTORELLO/AFP via Getty Images
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