Emails Show Washington State Lawmaker Tied to Group Training for Holy War

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) – Newly leaked emails show that conservative state Rep. Matt Shea, a Republican from Spokane Valley, has had close ties with a group that trained children and young men for religious combat.

The Spokesman-Review newspaper reported that the emails were first revealed in The Guardian on Wednesday, while Shea’s ties with Team Rugged were revealed in a video on Shea’s public Facebook page.

Shea did not return messages from The Spokesman-Review.

The materials have been turned over to a team of private investigators hired by the state House of Representatives to determine whether Shea has promoted political violence.

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Information from: The Spokesman-Review, http://www.spokesman.com