In December, as the Republican tax bill was being debated, we (Sharon Dean, Ridgely Fuller, and Jessica Stewart) went to Susan Collins’ Bangor office to urge the Senator to vote no. After a futile discussion with her state office representative, Carol Woodcock, we announced that until Senator Collins agreed to vote against the bill we would not leave her office. The Department of Homeland Security arrested us, and we face trial on Wednesday, March 21st at 10:00 a.m. at the Federal Courthouse in Bangor.

UPDATE MAY 11: Sharon, Ridgely, and Jessica have been convicted of failing to obey a lawful order, taken into custody, and ordered to spend 24 hours in jail. Please sign and share this letter to show your support.

"This tax bill undermines the social contract enshrined in all our founding documents: I am speaking of the principle of equality. I believe this flagrant disregard for the principle of equality in the tax bill makes it unlawful and so, as a citizen, my opposition to it became a moral obligation." - Ridgely Fuller

As voters, mothers, and taxpayers, we could not, in good conscience, allow ourselves to be complicit in the passage of this violent and harmful tax bill. One of us, Sharon Dean, along with prominent activist Ady Barkan and a few members of Mainers for Accountable Leadership, met with Senator Collins on December 13th and urged her to withhold her vote on the tax bill until the promises from Majority Leader McConnell were kept and the bills were passed to help stabilize healthcare premiums. Collins repeatedly assured us that passing this tax bill would not jeopardize health care.

"McConnell broke his promise to Senator Collins. Now Senator Collins is breaking her promise to Mainers and to Americans. She looked me right in the eye, and assured me this wouldn’t happen. She is breaking her promise to me. It is immoral and unjust to take life-saving health care away from ordinary people, so that the rich can get richer.” - Sharon Dean

Nonpartisan policy analysts and the Congressional Budget Office agreed that the bill would be a giant gift to the wealthiest Americans and large corporations. More importantly, it would destabilize our healthcare system, make healthcare more expensive, and increase hardship for the vast majority of lower-income and middle-income individuals and families. We knew, because of detailed empirical research carried out by respected economists, that the bill would result in significant harm to our state’s most vulnerable residents: the elderly, children, and people living with disabilities.

“Caring for and preserving social infrastructure for the young, providing healthcare, and supporting the production of knowledge are some of the most basic responsibilities of an ethical society. Senator Collins voted to give away trillions of dollars to extremely wealthy individuals and corporations, while turning her back on her low and middle income constituents here in Maine. When Senator Collins chose to cast a yes vote for the tax scam she betrayed the public trust.” - Jessica Stewart

For our actions, we are charged with failing to obey a lawful order. Yet, we are guilty of no crime except fulfilling our duties as citizens. We are not guilty of failing to obey a lawful order. When our leaders abdicate their responsibilities, citizens have obligations that transcend federal statutes, especially petty ones.

The tax bill, in all likelihood, will result in the preventable suffering and even death of innocent Americans. Given that context, remaining in Collins' office to speak with her was a lawful and reasonable action.

In reality, Senator Susan Collins and all members of Congress who voted for the bill failed to obey the spirit of our system of laws, which exists to safeguard the common good of society. Voting for a law that enables an economy where the rich can steal from the poor undermines democracy, the rule of law, and violates higher moral laws. Lawmakers, including Senator Collins and Rep. Poliquin, who betray the public trust in this way must be held accountable. We stand in solidarity with all who resisted the passage of the tax bill and hope that many Mainers and people across the nation will be moved to take risks for a more fair society. Going forward, we invite our fellow Mainers to join ongoing efforts to hold our elected leaders accountable. We invite you to support or participate in acts of nonviolent civil disobedience as part of campaigns to hold our leaders accountable and build a better society.

We humbly ask that you sign our letter to join us in solidarity,

Sharon Dean, Jessica Stewart, and Ridgely Fuller