GOP Bigwig Physically Assaults & Threatens To Shoot Dem. Staffer In Wild New Video

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The race to occupy the 435 seats in the U.S. House post-midterms is continuing to heat up. With every single member of the U.S. House — and one-third of the members of the U.S. Senate — facing a re-election battle, few Republicans are truly safe from concerns about their political future. In the case of one Kentucky Republican, that “concern” turned into a physical altercation this week.

An unnamed staffer with the Kentucky Democratic Party faced the wrath of Louis Hillenmeyer this past Wednesday. He’s a significant financial backer of Kentucky’s GOP U.S. Rep. Andy Barr, and this week, he hosted a fundraiser for the candidate at his home. The Democratic staffer in question works as a “tracker,” following Barr around in the hopes of catching him in an unsavory moment that can be captured on camera and shared with the world. The practice of using trackers is pretty standard.

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Screenshot via YouTube

Hillenmeyer, though, wasn’t having it. In a video that the staffer captured as Hillenmeyer began his ranting confrontation, he can be heard saying:

‘Hey, you want me to shoot him? Let me get my dogs.’

The video shared by Kentucky Democrats identifies Hillenmeyer as speaking to Barr staff at first of the targeted Democratic staffer. The Barr staff members laughed at the prospect of Hillenmeyer shooting the Democratic staffer or turning his dogs on him, the video notes.

After the above recorded comments, Hillenmeyer walked over to the Democratic staffer, and with the all too familiar confidence of a white man who feels as though the police are his personal attack dogs, said:

‘I’ll call the police then, and they’ll come get you, because I don’t want you here.’

The staffer had noted in the video that he was on public property. He was just standing on the sidewalk outside the house where the fundraiser was taking place.

Facing the to him horrifying prospect of the world not falling down before his rich white self, Hillenmeyer snapped and grabbed at the Democrat’s camera as he stood there and just kept filming.

The staffer commented:

‘If you break that, it’s assault sir.’

Hillenmeyer replied:

‘I don’t care, I will break it. I want you out of here.’

Watch below.

The Barr campaign initially declined request for comment, referring the media to Hillenmeyer.

He claimed, in response, that the unnamed Democratic staffer was infringing on a private party and not simply targeting a political fundraiser.

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An invitation for the event shared by the Lexington Herald-Leader makes it clear, though, that the event was a “fundraising reception.” The smallest amount of money that someone could pay to get in was $250. Normally people don’t charge their friends to come to private parties.

Although the Barr campaign wouldn’t respond, the Kentucky Democratic Party did.

KDP deputy executive director Marisa McNee commented:

‘It’s clear Andy is feeling the heat, but that’s no excuse for his supporters to harass and rough up one of our staffers.’

The Cook Political Report currently has Barr’s seat as a “toss-up” going into the midterms later this year. Two dozen other currently Republican held U.S. House seats are currently rated similarly. In other words, a “blue wave” may very well be on the way.

Featured Image via Screenshot from the Video