The following are Ken Bryan’s remarks to the Flagler County Commission this morning. Bryan, a Flagler Beach city commissioner, spoke after several individuals addressed the commission, some to denounce Commissioner Joe Mullins’s role sponsoring a trip of protesters to Washington, D.C., last week (he did not organize the trip), some to defend him.
Mullins was among the dozens of local residents who protested in the capital. He said he did not take part in the riot that overran Congress. But in the days before the events on Wednesday, he had openly called for the beheading of liberals on a radio infomercial that he posted on his Facebook page and that aired once on WNZF (the station director refused to post the podcast). And Mullins repeatedly espoused the insurrectionist notion that Congress should overturn Joe Biden’s election. The claim of a fraudulent election was itself repeatedly proven false and tossed out by some 60 court decisions. Mullins continued to press the narrative of a fraud until the afternoon of the rally in Washington, when the assault on the Capitol began. Only then Mullins began to distance himself from what turned from a rhetorical to a violent insurrection.
Bryan did not refer to Mullins by name. Just before he spoke, Commissioner Andy Dance had asked Commission Chairman Donald O’Brien to ensure that speakers would not call out by name “attendees here at the meeting or previous speakers.” Bryan’s remarks are reported in full. (A report on the commission meeting’s segments regarding Mullins today is available here: “Flagler Commissioners Again Give Defiant Mullins a Pass as Dance’s Call to Talk of ‘Behavior’ Gets Tepid Reception.”)
Normally I would say good morning. But this is not a good morning. And in fact, in my view, it’s a very gloomy and a very dark time period in our country.
All of my adult life I’ve served my country as a public servant. When I entered the military, I took an oath of office to uphold the Constitution and defend the nation from all enemies, both foreign and domestic. I took the same oath in serving and working for the Department of the Navy, the Justice Department, while working at the White House, as a county commissioner, and now as a Flagler Beach city commissioner.
The oath means everything to me, and it always has. I take this very seriously. That being said, I feel I have an obligation as a citizen to speak out, and speak up, against what we all witnessed last Wednesday, a time in our lives that has been very dark. It’ll go down in history as the darkest. What we witnessed last week in Washington, D.C., was a horrific tragedy we never thought would happen in this country. Unfortunately, some of our own individuals in our community partook in that particular episode.
It’s unfortunate that some of the same individuals who took the same oath of office like I did, and as you did, violated that oath to organize and lead dozens of protesters to our nation’s capital, to participate in a heinous attack on our country. The individual who organized and led this group in prior days had also advocated on public airwaves and social media the beheading of fellow-citizens, has also berated, cursed and threatened a fellow-elected officials in prior instances with absolutely no consequences.
This conduct of some of those who attended, participated in this event last week, was a disgraceful, shameful attack on our democracy and this country. Those who organized and led the group in my opinion created an intentional insurgency while serving under the oath of office. This was a clear violation of that oath to uphold the constitution, and they defamed it and basically dishonored it, and they basically should not be holding office today.
Martin Luther King once said: “The ultimate tragedy is not oppression and cruelty by the bad people, but the silence over that by the good people.” Let’s not again witness the silence of good people. And to basically counteract what the previous speaker said, individuals that attended, not all of them, some of them that attended that rally, that left Flagler, did in fact make some very, very bold, unnecessary threats to the government and to people in Washington, D.C. Unfortunately that happened. Let’s hope it never, ever happens again.
Angela Mahler says
I truly hope that the events of last week serve to wake up the people in this county who revere and worship the Cult of Trump. He has taken divisiveness to a place its never been before and threatens to take down our country. Instead of focusing on Trump, try to reassess what you are so unhappy about. He has you all whipped into a frenzy
Mary Koonce says
He’s been a problem that’s be ignored and probably still will be because no one has backbone these days.
Denise Calderwood says
Great comments Commissioner Bryant. Your leadership and actions and dedication to the right side of this issue is good role modeling for the others. As an elected official and especially the Chair of the County Commission and the former Chair can not continue to take the ostrich approach…their necks aren’t long enough..they can not keep burying their heads in the sand. Commissioner Sullivan be the leader you say you are….you took the same path as The other brave men and women who have served our country and or our county like me.
Steve says
Stand up and say as well as do something. These people and their influence, positions of Power within our Government at all levels should be squeezed out like the old used up Rhetoric and Conspiracy that it is. There is no place in public service for those who have repeatedly violated an Oath that they have swore to uphold. Do the right thing and Resign or be thrown out. Defamation of All We stand for was openly defiled. No less than Insurrection and no more than Cowards.
Mythoughts says
Thank you Mr. Bryan for speaking up and wanting Joe Mullin to resign. As taxpayers, we have posted several comments to the Flagler County Commissioners to remove him but it has gone on dead ears.
What happened at our Capitol encouraged by Donald Trump, his family, and attorney Rudy is not about politics but it was a domestic terrorist attack on our democracy.
Those terrorists would have harmed or killed VP Pence and Nancy Pelosi if they had found them. This is as sad to our nation as 9/11 was and all those involved and encouraged it need to be prosecuted and one of them is Joe Mullin.
If the Flagler County Commissioners don’t do anything about this they too need to resign, we do not want them representing our county any longer.
Keep Flagler Beautiful says
Mullins needs to go and should be replaced immediately by whomever received the next-highest number of votes in the election in which he ran.
Maureen Salemi says
I was sickened when I read that our county commissioner Joe Mullins (with a group of Trump supporters) was going to Washington to protest the election of Joe Biden. What don’t they understand, the election is over and it was a fair election. Donald Trump lost the election because the vast majority of people saw what he was doing to our country, avoiding the crisis of the pandemic, not caring about the climate crisis and constantly trying to pit one side against the other with name calling and no substance.
I personally think that Joe Mullins has no place in our county commission and he should resign. The office of County Commission should have commissioners with more respect for the people they serve and not take part in an insurrection.
The Voice Of Reason says
Mr Bryan,
Thank you for speaking up to confront the despicable behavior exhibited by mullins. He has shown himself to be a disgrace to Flagler County, over and over. He should resign for the reasons you pointed out. It sickens me when candidates get elected as a result of the abundance of campaign signs by the side of the road. Voters in Flagler need to make the effort to research candidates or leave the box blank. Don’t vote blindly. It causes harm as it obviously has here. The existing commissioners who have protected him need to grow a spine. They should resign too.
ASF says
Mullins is an elected public official. He should be charged with incitement as well as insurrection.
Mary Fusco says
Let’s be honest. Divisiveness was here long before Trump. Those that cannot think for themselves are the problem. Do I think everything Trump did was right? NO. Do I think Biden and our future president Harris are the answer to our problems. NO. Only time will tell. As for Commissioner Mullins, he was elected to represent EVERYONE, not just those who think like him. Hopefully, if we live through the next 4 years, there will be 2 viable candidates for the President of the US.
Barbara says
I agree! He should resign immediately!
Been There says
Please please please other elected officials take this to the State. File ethics complaints. Do whatever is in your power to shut his disgraceful rhetoric down and run him out of Flagler County the way they ousted him in Georgia. He’s worse than embarrassing now. He’s DANGEROUS.
Fed Up with Fake Patriots says
Thank you, Mr. Bryan, for your thoughtful and articulate statement. You are absolutely on point about taking the oath of office and swearing to defend the Constitution. Commissioner Mullins has been an embarrassment to this County from day one. His behavior and attitude toward citizens as well as other elected officials is reprehensible. The word “civilized” is clearly not in his vocabulary, nor did his parents ever instill in him the desire to be a uniter, rather than a divider.
What happened at the nation’s Capitol on January 6th is plain and simple violent insurrection by a bunch of cowards who were instigated and blatantly encouraged by the words of a deranged and unstable man. This should never be allowed to happen again and those who are responsible should be punished to the full extent of the law. The Senate should censure Cruz and Hawley, at the very least. The tidal wave of resignations since January 6 should speak volumes to anyone who has any actual understanding of how our government, our democratic republic, is supposed to work.
My family has a very long history of military service, from the Battle of the Bulge, the 38th Parallel in Korea, Iraq, and even the Pentagon. I was taught patriotism from the crib. Those animals in DC are not patriots and they defiled the U.S. flag when some are seen on video dragging the flag on the ground or crumpled up.
And to go full circle on this comment … Joe Mullins is not a patriot, he is an instigator, and the rest of the County Commission should call him out and make him behave like an adult or send him packing. I can’t wait for the next election. I’d sooner vote for a three-toed sloth than Mullins. Go back to Georgia and take your evil divisiveness with you! Oh way, they threw you out, too.
Disgusted and Reviled says
Mullins is a cancer on our community and needs to be removed. The sooner the better
Jane Gentile-Youd says
Wow that was me! I am ready wiling and able to serve all 115,000 Flagler countians…
Did not attend meeting today because 3 coworkers at hubby’s job at KSC tested positive. We went to New Smyrna got rapid test and our (negative) results in 5 minutes. Email sent to commissioners advising their ability to petition governor per Florida Statute 112 was ignored..as was the Resolution prepared months ago mandating behavior standards both on County time and off time of all elected officials. And so unless a big group of VOTERS speak in person I am afraid Joe’s ‘unhinged ‘ threatening and anti American behavior will continue in perpetuity….
B&B says
Thank you Commissioner Bryan.
Your comments are very important to the citizens of Flagler County. One of the things a person hopefully learns in life is to think before you speak. This is especially important concerning public leaders. Analogies can become more dangerous than the words themselves. Again, thank you for your public statement.
CTS says
Remember too in the next election to vote out Mullets enablers…..Sullivan, Barbosso and the others.
A real Patriot! says
Well-said Commissioner Bryan! When we moved to Palm Coast 10 years ago we really thought this was an undiscovered paradise where we could raise our kids and be productive citizens of this community. Open racism and hate has always tarnished “the American Dream” bit with trump as the “leader” of the free world he has forever disgraced this country and as a decorated veteran of this country, I am ashamed to call myself Veteran. With 26 years of service defending the freedoms that my ancestors died for gives me the right to call myself a patriot.
I took an oath to support and defend this country against all enemies foreign and domestic and I have. As a patriot, I have never done or participated in anything that brought discredit to this country.
And dare those of you that think this man Mullins is a leader of this county, he is not, he is someone that bought himself into and got elected because of the color of his skin.
And dare those of you who ignorantly compare this insurrection to Black Lives Matter peacefully protesting police brutality and racial injustice, there is no comparison! Stop it!
This was a planned insurrection, stoked by the president because he lost this election. Yes lost, the majority of this divided country voted him out, that means the majority of the people have spoken. But if you are a Republican and you agree with what Mullins and his sycophants participated in, and you say nothing, in my opinion, you are complicit. This was not and never will be patriotism, this is Domestic terrorism and if you participated in this riot but did not storm the capitol, you are a domestic terrorist sympathizer!
WeNeedToDoBetter says
That is so ironic that you say hopefully if we live through the next four years. I remember Trump supporter holding up banners when he was elected saying “Stop crying, you will live”. 375,000 Dead Americans later. And you are right let us be honest. The polar extreme of division has never been to this degree.. oops except for the exception of the Civil War. Sorry I personally do not care what party Mullins was elected under, he should no longer be allowed to hold office. Calling for the beheading of others? (Including those he represents). WOW what backwards county are we living in … EVERY citizen in our county should be outraged and calling for Mullins resignation.
EVA says
Thank you Mr Bryan, for standing up and speaking out. Please run for County Commissioner, and bring suggestions for four more like you! God knows we need big changes in this county, and the GOP is dead and rotted. I used to be proud to be a Republican, good God. :(
EVA says
Let’s be honest?? Yes, please let’s. There has never been anything like the corruption, division, and incompetence that Trump has brought to this country. President Biden and VP Harris are a leap back to honesty and HONOR, remember those things? Perfect humans, of course not. Civil servants, yes. Not sure what you are saying about Mullins, his whole effort has been to mimic the worst President in our history and he will live with that forever. I also pray for the healthy sharing of differing views between two viable candidates. I don’t believe the GOP has any integrity or honesty left though. Sad.
GEJ says
Mullins is totally out of control. He has to go and others like him Danko.
Realist says
You think Joe Biden is HONEST????
Agkistrodon says
You mean you are ready to serve the people of “floridiuh” as you have called them on multiple occasions. Please, tell me you haven’t, cause remember, what you put online, stays online. Call me a fool once, I let it slide, do it twice, all bets are off.
James M. Mejuto says
Well ! . . . You people voted for this scumbag,Mullins and now we have to put up with his Republican
abuses.
You knew, all along his inadequacies but yet you stuck to Party lines to elect inadequacies.
However, the city of Palm Coast is stuck with this criminal.
I hope ya all had a good time ! ! !
John Stove says
Mullins is a Trump wanna-be. It may not be today or tomorrow but eventually someone with a spine and a greater sense of honor and duty will do the right thing to remove Mullins from office.
Sound similar?……Trump will be the only President in the history of the United States to be impeached TWICE and now McConnel has publicly stated that he supports Impeachment to get him out of the Republican party.
Mullin is a loser (and he knows it)
ASF says
Let’s see..Donald Trump is under investigation for Tax and Business Fraud and is the only President in the history of the US to be impeached twice. What is Joe Biden under indictment for?
Rob says
Realist,
Yes, I honestly believe that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris honestly want to do good for this country, our citizens and the world. Let’s try to help them and not be so negative. Let’s say good bye and good riddance to the self serving, misinformation, and warped reality of the era of Trumpism.
Realist says
The left spent the last FOUR YEARS not giving trump a chance.They were talking about impeachment literally before he even took office.WHY would the right do any different??Dont get hypocritical NOW!
American says
Oh do I agree! We are certainly outraged. Thank you . Disgusted, Mullins needs to resign. It’s not always about the Trump lovers and what they want, (sorry Trump lost fair and sqaure, move on), there are many more people who voted him out, so stop the lies, The election was free and fair and when our Republican reps and others who represent us admit that we can move on. Do your jobs and stop being political and start representing all Americans.
Americangirl says
yes get him out. Embarrassment and does not represent those of us who have morals and understand the election was free and fair.