MARQUETTE, MI— Further details are coming out about the split between the U.P.’s Republican lawmakers and Congressman Jack Bergman.
Senator Ed McBroom and Representatives Greg Markkanen and Karl Bohnak issued a joint press release earlier this week rescinding support for Bergman’s reelection. They say he lied when he claimed he’d support Dave Prestin to replace McBroom, who is term limited. Bergman has endorsed Beau LaFave, instead.
McBroom says there’s been party infighting over the years, but the last straw was recent personal attacks made by Bergman against the U-P lawmakers.
“His team going around Marquette over the weekend, shouting out that Dave’s a wife beater, the fake Facebook accounts that are questioning Markkanen, Bohnak and myself and our integrity because we support Dave. Thus, that was the breaking point.”
McBroom says Bergman’s endorsement of LaFave isn’t even the issue.
“Even if he lies and says he’s not going to, he can do what he wants. But going around, trashing good people who—especially Rep Bohnak and Rep Markkanen, who sacrificed so much to be working for the people of the U.P.—it just was too much and we had to stand up for ourselves.”
A spokesman for Bergman says the lawmakers are “do-nothing establishment hacks’ who should be coming together to support LaFave instead of condemning Bergman.
