Veteran
Attorney
Pastor
Matthew
Shea
Senior Pastor at On Fire Ministries and Kingdom Christian Academy
Exonerated
October 14, 2024 | Immediate Release
Four years ago, headlines and news stories across the State blared that I was under investigation by the FBI. A private investigator hired by my political opponents labeled me a “domestic terrorist”: all without ever speaking with me or allowing me to view her report and provide a response.
Political opponents even filed complaints against me with the State Bar Association, falsely implying that I was under a criminal investigation. They used the very complaints they had filed to give this smear an imprimatur of legitimacy and generate news stories that the “Bar Association Says Feds Looking Into State Rep. Matt Shea.”
Four years later, the Washington State Bar association (WSBA) dismissed each and every politically motivated complaint against me. There were no headlines. There wasn’t even a passing mention from those news organizations and opponents who shouted I was guilty before I was even charged with anything.
It has been said that a lie can make it halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to catch up. The truth has now caught up.
It took four years for the truth to come out: I was never under investigation by the FBI, who never contacted me or anyone I know. I was never questioned, arrested, or charged – much less convicted – of a single crime related to any matter raised in the Rampart Report. The Bar Association confirmed in writing they never said I was under investigation by the FBI as the Spokesman Review reported.
The WSBA conducted an independent investigation of the charges against me and concluded that all of the activities in the Rampart report were free speech protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.
Unlike many of my detractors, I have actually defended the United States Constitution while in uniform. My military service was the greatest statement and sacrifice I could make. I put my life on the line to protect not only my right to speak and worship freely, but also that same right of others with whom I may disagree.
Our country cannot long endure civic debate being replaced with political opponents falsely implying those they disagree with are criminals, terrorists, or worse.
I do not harbor bitterness and I forgive those who lied about me in an effort to destroy me. I am fulfilled with the work of ministry and transformative love of Jesus Christ. It was an honor to serve and fight for the people of the 4th Legislative District. While I may be retired from the legislature, I continue the battle for the heart and soul of the Republic of the United States of America.
A Legacy of
Service
Matthew Shea was born in 1974 in Spokane, Washington. His family had lived in Eastern Washington for four generations – they ran one of the first stagecoaches in Washington. He lived in Spokane, attending both Pasadena and Ponderosa elementary schools with his parents and brother until the age of 10, when the family moved to Bellingham, where he graduated from high school. Matt was raised in an atmosphere of gratitude toward America as a country of freedom. His father instilled in him a deep sense of patriotism and personal obligation to his country.
Matthew went to Gonzaga University, from which he graduated in 1996. Apart from a bachelor’s degree in History and Political Science, he received a J.D. degree from Gonzaga University School of Law in 2006, graduating cum laude. He began his military service as a Distinguished Military Graduate from Gonzaga University in 1996 and finished in the top 3 of his Officer Basic Course class. Later, he was recognized as the top-rated Captain in his Battalion. Matthew Shea served in the United States Army with two combat tours overseas, including eight months in Bosnia as a platoon leader and eleven months in Baghdad, Iraq, as a company commander.
Matthew was awarded the Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, and Combat Infantryman’s Badge, among many other awards and commendations in the military. In his civilian life, he was awarded the National Security Eagle Award in 2015 “In recognition of exemplary courage and statesmanship in defense of America’s security and freedoms.” This was awarded specifically for his work countering and exposing terrorism in the United States of America.
Archive Photo
Pastor Matt Shea
Vision
My vision is to see Jesus Christ glorified and His love spread to all people around the world. This is what Christians do.
Mission
My mission is to glorify Jesus Christ by preaching the gospel of the Kingdom and bringing people to a place of encounter with Him. This is what love looks like.
Objective
My objective is to protect the God-given unalienable rights to life, liberty, property, and ability to defend the same, of every human being regardless of ethnicity or socio-economic status. This brings true freedom.
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Service: 1996 - 2006
Correcting
The Record
I have consistently and unequivocally condemned racism, anti-Semitism and white nationalism and do so again here and now. Not only are these ideas antithetical to my political beliefs, they are in deep opposition to my faith in Jesus Christ and His love. I am heartened that the people I serve know me and my steadfast belief in the worth and dignity of every human being.
Is Matt a Domestic Terrorist?
Matt Shea was exonerated by the WSBA and the dismissal was upheld on appeal.
The House Report is false. It was instigated by Democrats and “investigated” by a Democrat supporter. All House Ethics complaints were dismissed. Matt was never censured or expelled from the House of Representatives. The Washington State Bar Association, the only independent entity to investigate the matter, dismissed all grievances relating to the matter and the dismissal was upheld on appeal.
Justice is not terrorism… except to evil.
Want to know why they called it the Rampart Report? A magazine was co-opted by the Soviets called Ramparts. “CIA documents released under the Freedom of Information Act confirm that by 1966, Ramparts was a reliable outlet for Soviet propaganda.” Disinformation, Mihai Pacepa, Ch 21.
Matt was exonerated by two investigative journalists with over 80 years experience between them.
Read these articles: Label Lynching Matt Shea and The Ballad of Matt Shea
Bunkerville, Nevada
I arrived in Nevada at the Bundy Ranch the day after the standoff with Federal authorities and coordinated with various elected officials around the region to conduct an investigation. The result was the release of a whistleblower memorandum by Special Agent Larry Wooten detailing widespread government misconduct including a “kill book.” He kept this as a “trophy” to commemorate his role in the death of various victims, Wooten said. Introduced in court, the memorandum led to the Judge dismissing the case with prejudice and excoriating the government for its misconduct. The dismissal was upheld on appeal by the 9th Circuit. Evidence has also been introduced in a Federal Civil Court Case in North Idaho detailing the government’s illegal actions in Bunkerville.
Burns, Oregon
In an email dated the day before the protest for ranchers Steve and Dwight Hammond (eventually pardoned by President Trump), I advised all my supporters, friends, and family to not go to the protest. The media has continually failed to report this critical fact. I arrived weeks later with a delegation of State Legislators from surround states to investigate the matter. Local county elected officials were evasive and not forthcoming with information. In fact, we caught them lying on several occasions. The ranchers occupying the Malhuer Refuge, invited us to see the evidence and hear the testimonies of widespread government abuse. Without hesitation they answered all of our questions. Subsequently, much of this evidence came out in court and the Ammon Bundy and 6 others were acquitted of all charges.
Priest River, Idaho
The last incident Matt’s detractors alleged was terrorism involved a phone call from the Veterans Administration that they wanted to seize John Arnold’s firearms after he suffered a stroke. Matt, standing with the County Sheriff, and 100 other supporters successfully stopped the confiscation. Several days later, John Arnold’s medical records were “corrected” without further medical evaluation and the matter was dropped.
Did Matt Write a Manifesto?
The media articles attempted to suggest that notes on a series of Biblical sermon from many years ago were a “manifesto” calling for mass murder. This false interpretation was designed, both in timing and tone, as a desperate effort to derail my service to this community and this country. For those of us who know the awful cost of war and have seen the aftermath of atrocities firsthand, such smears are despicable. The document the media and KHQ referenced as a “manifesto” were clearly noted as a series of Biblical sermons.
The Biblical Basis for War was a study generally of Deuteronomy 20 and the Old Testament. Manifestos, as the media characterized it, are not bullet pointed. It was part of a larger folder of tweleve documents on warfare that Matt trained on (and answered hard questions from) soldiers deploying and returning from overseas. Matt trained, taught, and believes in Just War Theory (it was mandatory to train deploying soldiers the Law of Land Warfare and Just War Theory back then). The Ethics complaint regarding the Biblical Basis for War in the OT was likewise dismissed.
Furthermore, the other documents contained in the same folder clearly show that this was a historical study and discussion on Just War Theory. A sample of some of the documents: The Military Code of Conduct (US), Notes on Just War Theory, The Battle of Cowpens, The Battle of Kings Mountain, Col. Glover John’s Observations on Soldiering (WWII), Observations on the Vietnam War. These key points were not disclosed by either Jay Pounder or the mainstream media.
Deuteronomy 20 is arguably the most controversial passage from the Old Testament. As a Pastor, Matt teaches and has always taught just war theory. In fact, he taught this to his troops on both deployments overseas. Additionally, a very quick reading of Deuteronomy 20 shows the notes to be extremely accurate. This, too, was not mentioned.
Is Matt is an Anti-Semitic White Nationalist?
The media alleges that The God and Country Celebration at Marble Country Fellowship is a White Nationalist and racist gathering. It is both enlightening and telling that media continues time and again to fail to report that the Associate Pastor Doug Taft, at Marble Country Fellowship happens to be black. A Reverend, Matthew Cummings, who grew up in downtown Chicago and has spoken at the event also happens to be black and lives there. Ethical journalists doing their due diligence would publish their existing statements.
In addition, Matt has demonstrated support for the following:
– Pro-Israel Record
– 2017 HJM 4004 – Condemning BDS Movement
– 2017 HJM 4009 – Condemning BDS Movement
– 2017 House Republican Resolution* – Honoring Israel’s 70th Anniversary as a Nation
– 2020 HR 4651 – 75th Anniversary of Liberating Auschwitz-Birkenau
– Ethiopia mission: It is important to live out our Christianity beyond the 4 walls of the church. The video in the link above is a powerful witness to how God’s love working through each one of us can bring peace in the midst of war. Just before I arrived there was a gun battle in Nekemte where people were killed. Then there was peace… I hope this blesses you… Immanuel. “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” – Matthew 19:6
*Democrats denied the presentation of a full floor resolution. We presented the Resolution to the Israeli Consul General to the PNW Shlomi Kofman (see attached picture and Resolution).
Top Myths about Matt Shea by His Opponents
“When the debate is lost slander becomes the tool of the loser.” – Socrates
Often, enemies of America, will launch “attack mail” or “attack advertisements” and use biased media (like the Spokesman-Review) to help their effort. This happens in an ambush style, so people have no time to respond to false-hoods and half-truths. A frequently asked question is how democrats and media like the Spokesman Review get away with consistently lying by commission or omission during political campaigns..
The answer is that the Washington State Supreme Court ruled that it’s alright for candidates to make false statements about other candidates: “‘The majority opinion advances the efforts of those who would turn political campaigns into contests of the best stratagems of lies and deceit, to the end that honest discourse and honest candidates are lost in the maelstrom,’ Justice Barbara Madsen wrote in the dissent.”
Does Matt has Associations with Extremist Organizations?
The day before the ballots dropped for three contested elections the mass media, encouraged by my opponents, published libelous hit pieces on me. These were stories based on the reports of unnamed sources that make factually unsubstantiated claims but imply dramatic scandal. This is an old leftist tactic popularized by the likes of Saul Alinsky. The latest attack of the 2014 election cycle, encouraged by my opponent, is outrageous and represents everything that’s wrong with politics today.
My opponent, of the same political party, who publicly called me a wife-beating, militia member that defends tax-dodging racists, murders, and child molesters tried accusing me and many other veterans of being domestic terrorists. He cites the SPLC as his source and claims that the Oath keepers is a violent militia and my dinner with their founder Stewart Rhodes must have been a nefarious planning session for a terrorist attack at a local Mexican Restaurant. Supposedly, a random person just happened to overhear a conversation between myself and a group of combat army and marine veterans and covertly photographed us. Here are the facts:
1. Yes, I did have dinner at a Mexican restaurant with Oath keepers founder Stewart Rhodes and several other army and marine veterans. I had chicken fajitas with extra cheese, Spanish rice, no beans, and a water. We discussed several issues including property rights and the developing problems in Washington State, veterans’ outreach, feeding the hungry through churches (and by implication homeless veterans), and a friend’s new toy from Cabela’s.
2. I am a 10-year Army combat veteran who fought terrorists in Bosnia and Iraq.
3. I lost a man in battle fighting those same terrorists.
3. I was endorsed by Law Enforcement (WACOPs) for multiple election cycle.
5. The SPLC is an anti-Christian radical leftist organization.
6. The SPLC was directly implicated in the deadly shooting at the Family Research Council on August 15, 2012.
7. Oath Keepers is not a militia but instead a veteran, law enforcement, and first responder organization, that seeks to uphold the Constitution.
8. The attacks were about me going to Olympia and successfully fighting any gas tax increase and carrying the banner, not just voting, for freedom and liberty.
The establishment and their socialist policies are losing. That’s why they are desperate. So, it’s no surprise that here they go again.
Was Matt Pointing a Gun at a Road Rage Incident?
The Spokesman Review has been on a 15 year vendetta against Matt Shea. No surprise there. However, the Spokesman Review published hit pieces every election cycle against Matt. In light of this, it is also no surprise the Spokesman Review did not report the key facts corroborated by the witnesses. Specifically, Mr. Norris came across four lanes of traffic and tried to run into the side of Matt’s truck.
The independent eyewitness did not see anything “that led up to the Lumina driving, ‘horribly aggressive’” and “Donna believed the driving to be unprovoked” (Police Report Excerpt Below). The other independent witness corroborated this in a sworn affidavit: “The driver swerving across 4 lanes of traffic toward the front of Mr. Shea’s truck was clearly unprovoked. Mr. Norris then stopped in front of Mr. Shea’s truck. It was only then that Mr. Shea pulled the gun out of this glove box and set it on the seat.” Fearing for his own life and everyone around him, Matt pulled the gun out and set it on the seat just in case he had to defend himself and those near him in traffic. At no time did Matt point the gun at anyone, which Mr. Norris readily admitted. “Leroy did not believe that the driver of the truck pointed the gun at him at any time” (Police Report Excerpt Below).
Matt immediately called the State Patrol liaison for legislators and reported it as an attempt on his life (legislators do not have any security out of session). The fourth witness stated clearly “Rep. Shea maintained a calm demeanor throughout the incident… To be honest I would have done the same thing if I were him…”
The real issue here is why wasn’t this Mr. Norris prosecuted with vehicular assault, especially with what appears to be an extensive record of similar behavior including charges for reckless driving and hit and run? By contrast, Matt Shea is a trained decorated Army combat veteran. As Matt himself says, “ask any law enforcement officer or military man and they will tell you, your number one job is coming home to your family at night.”
Is Matt a Wife-Beater?
The Democrats and the Spokesman Review have hashed and rehashed this myth since 2008 with the proverbial question, “How many times did you beat your wife Matt?” The truth is that Matt’s former wife left him in 2007 and then filed for divorce. She then went on a two week vacation to Mexico with her boyfriend. Matt attempted everything in his power to keep the marriage together including immediately putting himself under the authority of his church pastor, Ken Ortize in an effort to resolve the situation but to no avail. Matt’s former wife and her attorney proceeded to make several outrageous allegations including that Matt physically abused her.
This has, unfortunately, become a standard practice in many, if not all, divorce proceedings to gain leverage in settlement negotiations. At that time Matt was the executive director of a pro-family advocacy organization. As a result of these allegations and at his behest, the board of directors, composed of a group of local Christian leaders, conducted a formal and thorough investigation. This included a complete review of the entire court file and formal interviews of both Matt and his former wife. The group completely exonerated Matt concluding, “the allegations had no basis in fact.”
Following this, Matt’s former wife violated the mutual restraining order several times including breaking into his house. Consequently, through his attorney, Matt filed a Contempt of Court Motion. The matter was then quickly settled, the divorce finalized, and all restraining orders immediately dropped once Matt delivered the settlement check to his former wife. Matt later discovered that his former wife’s attorney Paul Mack was a prominent Spokane County Democrat who has given campaign contributions to high profile Democrats Tim Hattenburg, Christine Gregoire, Mark Mays, Don Barbieri, and Patty Murray.
Does Matt believe FEMA has Established
Concentration Camps and Filled Them with “Political Prisoners”?
Concentration Camps and Filled Them with “Political Prisoners”?
This one is the most laughable but people continue to spread this myth based on an interview Matt did with the Alex Jones show on February 9, 2009. First, Matt categorically does not believe that. Second, the entire context of the interview was about unconstitutional federal overreach including cap and trade, Obamacare, unfunded mandates on states, nationalization of banks and car makers, and the infringement of civil liberties.
Third, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has a database called the National Shelter System of designated emergency relocation shelters and centers (camps or “mass shelters”) in conjunction with the National Disaster Housing Strategy. Designated “FEMA Camps and Shelters” as it were, do in fact exist. That is not at issue. In fact, Matt applauds the preparation for natural disasters done by FEMA and the encouragement of FEMA for individuals to “Prepare. Plan. Stay Informed.”
As a former Company Commander in the United States Army that served in Iraq, Matt Shea understands how critical it is to be prepared for huge forced evacuations of people. The concern Matt acknowledged on the Alex Jones Show is that these designated “FEMA Camps and Shelters” could be used for something other than emergency relocation in the event of a natural disaster because of centralized federal control.
Specifically, he acknowledged the concerns of many that a centralized shelter system could be used for purposes contrary to the Washington State and Federal Constitutions as was the case during World War II with Japanese-American internment. As a constitutional attorney, Matt believes safeguards need to be in place to prevent such a tragedy from ever happening again but tempered with the ability to provide disaster relief.
Were Political Attack Ads and Websites Matt Shea “Independent”?
The fact is the Inland Northwest Leadership PAC is funded by, and is a political hit organization for, the: Washington State Democrats, Roosevelt Fund (State Senate Democrat Fund), Truman Fund (State House Democrat Fund), Washington Federation of State Employees/WFSE Council 28, SEIU Healthcare 775NW. These are the top 5 of 6 donors.
Is Matt a Right-Wing Extremist Who Can’t Work Across the Aisle?
Let’s look at the facts. Matt has passed more amendments and bills than any other Republican House Representative, outside the ranking Budget Committee member. He also earned “Rookie Legislator of the Year in 2009” hardly the mark of an extremist who can’t “work across the isle.” Matt enjoyed broad support among pro-business organizations including:
– Credit Union Legislative Action Fund
– National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB)
– Spokane Home Builders Association
– Trucking Action Committee
– Washington Auto Dealers
– Washington Restaurant Association
Matt enjoyed broad support among many well-known conservative organizations:
– Citizens Alliance for Property Rights (CAPR)
– Gun Owners Action League of Washington
– Gun Owners of America
– Human Life PAC
– Justice For All PAC
– Parents’ Rights of Washington
– Spokane County Constitutional Republicans
Here is a breakdown of where Matt and his constituents stood on the issues:
| Initiative/Issue | Shea | 4th Dist. Voters |
|---|---|---|
| Same-Sex Marriage | Opposes | 66% Opposed (R-71) |
| Income Tax | Opposes | 74% Opposed (I-1098) |
| Gun Control | Opposes | Vast Majority Oppose |
| Implementation of Obamacare | Opposes | Vast Majority Oppose |
| 2/3 Requirement to Raise Taxes | Supports | 74% Supported (I-1053) |
| Removing Tax Increases by Legislature | Supports | 74% Supported (I-1107) |
| Right to Life | Supports | Vast Majority Support |