Citizen Mike-- A Child Molester... Republican State Senator Was Arrested Yesterday

UPDATE: State Senator Citizen Mike (R-PA) resigned today.

Lebanon, Pennsylvania sits in the Lebanon Valley and is the county seat of Lebanon County. It's a red hellhole and part of Pennsylvania Dutch country. In the 2016 primaries, Trump scored more votes (13,490) than Hillary (4,529) and Bernie (4,482) combined. In the general, Lebanon County was landslide country for Trump: 65.9% to 30.3%. Two years later, the Lebanese were as stupid and bigoted as they were in 2016 and all in for Trumpism. Neo-fascist candidate for senator, Lou Barletta, beat incumbent Bob Casey there-- 60.7% to 37.4%-- and Scott Wagner, who barely won 40% statewide, beat Gov. Tom Wolf 57.2% to 41.1%. Entirely within the 9th congressional district, Lebanon was all in for Republican Dan Meuser with an R+28 performance. Since 1888, the only time is backed a Democrats was in 1936 (FDR). Lebanon County was one of only four counties in Pennsylvania to vote for Barry Goldwater in 1964. There are 44,228 registered Republicans (53.68%) and 27,646 registered Democrats (33.55%). Lebanon County is 94.46% white. You get the picture, right?

Last year, state Senator Mike Folmer was reelected in district 48 against Democrat Lois Herr 60,357 (62.9%) to 35,545 (37.1%). The district includes all of Lebanon County and small parts of Dauphin and York counties. Since the district's creation in the 1960s, it has only elected Republicans. Folmer was arrested on sexual abuse and child pornography charges yesterday. "We are shocked to learn tonight of the allegations made against Sen. Folmer," Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati and Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman said in a joint statement. "We will fully cooperate with law enforcement regarding this deeply disturbing matter. Given the severity of these charges, Senator Folmer is immediately being removed as Chair of the Senate State Government Committee. Further action in response to these charges will be taken up by the Senate Leadership in the coming days."

So, aside from being a garden variety, family values Republican, who is Folmer? Well... born and raised in Lebanon, he went away for college and graduated from Grace College & Seminary, an evangelical Christian "college" in Winona Lake, Indiana. He started in politics as a Democrat but soon saw the light and joined the GOP. Last year he opposed a bill to lift a legal block preventing victims of child abuse from suing their abusers or the churches they were part of. He's also an anti-Choice fanatic and gets an "A" rating from the NRA.

His excuse for sending and receiving child porn? He says he's been dealing with some personal problems/issues. He's been freed on $25,000 bail.