For Immediate Release

Michigan news media recently mentioned our company while reporting on the Michigan Republican Party.

It is widely known that our company specializes in providing services to conservative organizations, such as the Michigan Republican Party and others.

Our team members have professional and business backgrounds. One of our partners is Joe Moss, who recently became an elected official for the first time in January 2023. For Liberty is headquartered in Ottawa County, where Joe serves as a county commissioner.

During the past nine months, newspapers across Michigan and the United States published hundreds of negative articles about Ottawa County, frequently mentioning Joe and his companies. People have targeted his livelihood and businesses with threats, harassment, and hate.

In light of recent biased media reports, For Liberty is issuing this press release in response to the left-leaning narrative in the drive-by media.

The following was written by Joe Moss.

——

In the current political climate, it may be difficult to imagine that a business owner would run for local office— especially based on strongly held convictions to make positive changes for the county where he lives.

This year the media has attacked Ottawa County’s conservative voters and the traditional American values of Michigan’s most conservative county.

How can journalists build a narrative or accusation when they lack evidence? Allow me to share a technique I’ve seen used. They find someone willing to verbalize the accusation, such as a political opponent, and then quote that individual.

Journalists are experienced at finding people to validate their narratives, such as a former state chair of the Democratic Party of Michigan, who also filed a (quickly dismissed) lawsuit against the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners. This relevant fact was omitted from recent reporting by the Detroit News and other media outlets.

Instead of truthful journalism, articles about For Liberty included the following inferred arguments:

Assertion 1: There are no valid reasons to pay For Liberty.

Assertion 2: If there were valid reasons, they would be publicly disclosed.

Conclusion: Hiring For Liberty was a political payoff.

This is a false conclusion.

Let’s look at the first false assertion: “There are no valid reasons to pay For Liberty.”

I’ve been in business for two decades. I am not a career politician. I recently started serving my community as a part-time county commissioner. My businesses have a track record of providing quality service at competitive prices.

People work with businesses they know and trust.

The Democratic Party of Michigan’s website appears to have been made by Apollo Artistry. It would be absurd to claim that because Apollo advertises “partnering with some of the biggest names and organizations in Democratic politics” that there would be “no valid reason” for the Democratic Party to pay Apollo for their services. Yet, this is the presumption the media uses against For Liberty, without accurately reporting what work was performed, the timeline, or other relevant facts.

Recent reporting about For Liberty is the tip of the iceberg amongst hundreds of negative articles about the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners, my role as Board Chair, and my conservative leadership.

My volunteer effort leading a pro-parental rights nonprofit called Ottawa Impact was a bright spot in Michigan for conservatives last year. Many pro-parental rights candidates were elected in Ottawa County in 2022.

At the same time, the Democratic Party of Michigan solidified control over the Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, House, Senate, Supreme Court, Board of Education, and more.

So, why were hundreds of hit pieces written against the conservative Ottawa County Commissioners?

There is a reason for these overt political attacks, since both the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners and Michigan Democrats got right to work implementing their public campaign promises.

Newly-elected commissioners in Ottawa County delivered major conservative victories on January 3, 2023.

Instead of tolerating the progressive status quo, newly-elected Republicans in Ottawa County lived up to their campaign promises and took immediate action to:

1. Abolish the county’s DEI bureaucracy,
2. Replace the county administrator,
3. Replace the legal counsel,
4. Change the county motto to Where Freedom Rings, and more.

This was accomplished on day one in office. The radical left and their media partners immediately erupted at conservative leaders doing conservative things.

By way of comparison, consider the actions of Joe Biden and Gretchen Whitmer immediately after taking office, and the lack of ensuing media meltdown.

Let’s look at the second false assertion: “If there were valid reasons to hire For Liberty, they would be publicly disclosed.”

This is the fallacy of an appeal to ignorance. It attempts to shift the burden of proof to the accused. As the ACLU put it:

“The ‘nothing to hide’ argument also has things backwards when it suggests that we are all worthy of suspicion until proven otherwise.”

In our situation, the press demands sensitive, internal information that is protected by a nondisclosure agreement.

Nondisclosure agreements are normal and good. They define how sensitive/proprietary information will be protected by a vendor.

Some may argue that as an elected official, there should be nothing to hide. Accusations against For Liberty have nothing to do with my part-time elected role, and everything to do with my business. The press is not entitled to sensitive business information.

Furthermore, would the left-wing media care who the Michigan Republican Party hired for a short-term consulting project if I was not a conservative elected official taking courageous stands for freedom?

Trust is earned by consistent behavior and honesty.

I am thankful the Michigan Republican Party chose to hire For Liberty for technology consulting. I was astonished that an employee from the prior MIGOP administration apparently deleted computer data in what appears to be an attempt to sabotage the new administration. For Liberty built new technology infrastructure, websites, branding, and more to restore Party operations. We did this in a tumultuous political environment, knowing that our involvement would be publicly known.

Manufactured chaos is a weapon used to manipulate public perception and craft public policy that erodes personal freedoms. Questioning the media’s chaos narratives results in cancel culture, division, and hate.

The political left in this country seeks first to silence dissent, and if that does not work, they attempt to destroy (e.g. – Jack Phillips, Nick Sandmann, Karl Manke, Marlena Pavlos-Hackney).

If the authoritarian left cannot intimidate you into compliance, they will use public attacks and lawfare to take your livelihood.

To build a thriving community, freedom must be the guiding principle of the land. This includes the freedom to work with people you know and trust.

I look forward to a day when those who espouse conservatism, work to preserve simple American values, and demonstrate love for country will once again have the freedom to express their thoughts, to work, and even govern, without fear of intimidation or loss of livelihood and reputation.

I would like to publicly thank the Michigan Republican Party for trusting For Liberty. You have a wonderful team focused on making Michigan the future of America and the engine of her revival. Kristina is the most dedicated Christian conservative party leader since Betsy DeVos led the Michigan Republican Party from 1996 to 2000. I am thrilled the Party is returning to its core: the Constitution, limited government, and family.

Until “working while conservative” is a crime, I’m going to get back to work.

Joe Moss
Partner
For Liberty LLC