Rep. Chris Miller Had Militia Group Sticker on Truck
Rep. Chris Miller (R-Oakland) says he has removed a sticker from his truck that showed the symbol of the “Three percenters,” an anti-government militia group.
Rep. Chris Miller (R-Oakland) says he has removed a sticker for an anti-government militia group from his truck windshield and claims he didn’t know what it meant.
A Twitter account identifying people who participated in the insurrection at the Capitol January 6th isolated on Miller’s pickup truck, which was parked outside the U.S. Capitol. Miller is the husband of Congresswoman Mary Miller.
The pickup had plates specific to an Illinois State Representative, and the Illinois Secretary of State’s office confirmed the truck was registered to Chris Miller.
(Disclosure: I worked a campaign in opposition to Mrs. Miller in the 2020 GOP primary.)
In the back windshield of the vehicle was a symbol of three pillars surrounded by 13 starts. It is known as the logo for the “Three percenters,” which, according to the Anti Defamation League, is “part of the militia movement, which supports the idea of a small number of dedicated “patriots” protecting Americans from government tyranny, just as the patriots of the American Revolution protected early Americans from British tyranny.”
In response to an inquiry from The Illinoize Thursday night, Miller issued a statement explaining he didn’t know what the symbol meant.
“ I have never been a member of the 3 percenters. My son received the sticker that was on my truck from a family friend who said that it represented patriotism and love of country. The original group, which has disbanded, was not a violent anti-government group. They were not involved in the Jan. 6th riots. They have issued a statement distancing themselves from the extremists who have copied their name. I have since removed the sticker. My intention was to display what I thought was a patriotic statement. I love our country and consider myself a patriot. My intention was not to hurt or offend anyone but simply to express what I thought was a statement of patriotism. God Bless America.”
Miller is closely aligned with the conservative so-called “Eastern Bloc” in the legislature, informally led by new gubernatorial candidate Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia). Miller gave the opening prayer at Bailey’s announcement for governor last week, at one point shouting “"if Darren Bailey is governor of Illinois, then there is a God in Heaven.”