Calling on my Elected Officials to Defend Democracy

Dear Montana Elected Official:

I am writing to you as a resident, active voter, and engaged participant in Montana’s democracy to express my outrage and absolute opposition to the reckless, undemocratic actions currently being carried out in our federal government. As my elected representative, you have a sworn duty to uphold the Montana and U.S. Constitutions, protect the people you serve, and resist any authoritarian overreach.

I am calling on you to take immediate and aggressive action to oppose the dangerous, authoritarian overreach currently taking hold in our federal government. This is not a partisan issue—it is a direct attack on the very foundations of our democracy, and it requires an urgent, coordinated response at every level of government.

I am demanding that you, as a Montana state representative, do the following without delay:  

 Leverage your position to contact Montana’s federal delegation and demand that they take a firm and public stance against Project 2025 and Elon Musk’s unconstitutional power grabs.

 Work with other state legislators across the country to form a united front against these authoritarian tactics, ensuring that Montana is not complicit in these undemocratic actions.

Lobby for bipartisan resistance in Congress to prevent Musk, Trump, and their enablers from further dismantling critical democratic institutions, financial systems, and human rights protections.

We cannot afford silence or passivity. If Montana’s elected officials fail to act, fail to pressure their federal counterparts, or fail to organize resistance across state lines, you are complicit in allowing an extremist faction to dismantle our democracy.

A Direct Assault on Democracy and Government Integrity

The recent unlawful dismissal of Gwynne Wilcox, the first Black woman to serve on the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), is a blatant act of political suppression, reminiscent of the authoritarian purges of the 1930s. This action is part of a broader effort to consolidate power, suppress dissent, and dismantle independent institutions that safeguard workers' rights and civil liberties.

On January 27, 2025, President Trump illegally removed Wilcox from the NLRB—an independent federal agency—despite legal protections that prohibit arbitrary dismissals. This act is a calculated move to erase diversity, roll back labor protections, and install political loyalists who will serve corporate and ideological interests instead of the people.

But this is just one piece of a broader and more dangerous attack on the foundations of our democracy.

Elon Musk’s Government Takeover – A Coup in Progress

Under the guise of “efficiency,” Elon Musk’s control over the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has become an unchecked power grab, undermining federal institutions and threatening the financial stability of our nation.

• Dismantling USAID – Musk and the Trump administration have illegally gutted the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), cutting off vital aid programs and disregarding congressional authority.

• Breaching Treasury Systems – Reports confirm Musk’s team has accessed key U.S. financial systems, raising grave concerns over unauthorized control of federal funds.

• Erasing Government Accountability – The systematic removal of career officials and independent oversight boards mirrors the tactics of historical fascist regimes, designed to consolidate executive power at the expense of transparency and accountability.

This is not a matter of political preference. This is a full-scale authoritarian assault on democracy. The Project 2025 agenda, under which these actions fall, bears chilling parallels to the rise of fascism in the early 1930s:

1. Dismantling Democratic Institutions – Just as Hitler’s Reichstag Fire Decree allowed the Nazi Party to dismantle democratic checks and balances, Trump and Musk are eroding the independence of agencies that serve the public good.

2. Silencing Opposition and Purging Officials – The firing of Gwynne Wilcox and other independent officials is part of a systematic removal of opposition voices—a classic authoritarian tactic.

3. Weaponizing the Economy – Musk’s access to Treasury operations is an alarming parallel to the centralized economic control imposed by fascist regimes to benefit the ruling elite at the expense of the people.

In addition to the blatant authoritarian overreach exemplified by Elon Musk’s unchecked power within the government, the Trump administration’s recent pardoning of January 6th insurrectionists is a deeply troubling and dangerous assault on the rule of law. This decision not only emboldens violent extremists but also undermines the very foundations of our democracy, setting a precedent that places our nation on the path of lawlessness and authoritarian control.

The events of January 6, 2021, were not a peaceful protest, nor were they an expression of legitimate political dissent. The attack on the U.S. Capitol was a violent, coordinated effort to overturn a democratic election by force—an insurrection aimed at subverting the will of the American people and installing an unelected leader in defiance of constitutional processes.

The Insurrectionists violently assaulted police officers, destroyed federal property, and sought to halt the certification of a free and fair election. They were acting at the behest of a sitting president who refused to accept the lawful results of the election, a move that mirrors historic authoritarian power grabs.   Multiple courts and bipartisan investigations have affirmed that these individuals sought to overthrow the democratic process, not engage in constitutionally protected protest.

By pardoning these insurrectionists, Trump and his administration are sending a clear message that political violence against democracy is acceptable, while simultaneously criminalizing and suppressing peaceful protest and dissent against their administration’s abuses of power.

The Stark Contrast: Lawful Protest vs. Government-Sanctioned Insurrection

The right to protest is a fundamental democratic right, enshrined in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and the Montana Constitution, which guarantee, The right to free speech and the right to peacefully assemble and petition the government for a redress of grievances.

The Montana Constitution – Your Ethical and Legal Obligation

As a Montanan and your constituent, I demand that you remember your obligations under our state’s Constitution, which explicitly prohibits:

• Conflicts of interest between public duty and private gain.

• The abuse of government authority to favor corporate interests over the people.

• The consolidation of power at the expense of constitutional rights.

The Montana Constitution, like the U.S. Constitution, mandates that the government must be accountable to the people—not a billionaire-backed fascist agenda. You, as an elected official, have a legal and ethical duty to resist these power grabs and protect our democratic institutions.

Call to Action: Reject These Attacks on Democracy

I demand that you, as my elected representative, immediately and publicly denounce these pardons and stand against the criminalization of legitimate protest. Specifically, I expect you to:

1. Condemn the pardoning of January 6th insurrectionists as a direct attack on the rule of law and the integrity of American democracy.

2. Oppose any efforts to criminalize peaceful protest and dissent against this administration’s abuses of power.

3. Stand firm in defense of Montana’s constitutional values, which protect our right to free speech and assembly.

4. Push for full accountability for those who attempted to subvert democracy—including Trump and his enablers.

5. Publicly condemning the dismantling of USAID and the unlawful dismissal of independent officials like Gwynne Wilcox.

6. Demanding a full congressional investigation into Musk’s unauthorized access to U.S. financial systems.

7. Opposing all Project 2025 initiatives aimed at centralizing executive power and dismantling democratic institutions.

8. Blocking any legislative or executive actions that undermine constitutional governance, transparency, and the separation of powers.

Failure to Act Will Be Remembered

Failure to act against these injustices is a failure to uphold the Constitution itself. History will judge those who stood against authoritarianism—and those who enabled it through their silence. I demand a response detailing what steps you will take to resist these dangerous developments.

The people of Montana value democracy, integrity, and accountability. I, along with many others, am watching closely to see whether you will stand with democracy—or with silent complicity. If you fail to act, I assure you that we will remember your inaction come election time.

I expect your immediate response detailing the concrete steps you will take to counteract these alarming developments. Silence is not an option.