On Friday, 1819 News reported several social media posts belonging to Republican U.S. Senate hopeful Katie Britt and her husband Wesley Britt had been deleted before announcing her run for the U.S. Senate.

Two of those posts, one belonging to Katie Britt and the other belonging to Wesley Britt, showed their participation in "Blackout Tuesday."

"Blackout Tuesday" was a gesture initiated by the music industry that was intended to be a "virtual moment of silence" in support of black victims of police violence spurred by the death of George Floyd and linked by some to the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement.

Late Saturday, Katie Britt issued a statement to 1819 News denying ever having supported BLM and said her participation in "Blackout Tuesday" was meant to show she was "listening."

In her statement, Britt also attacked her opponent Mike Durant and suggested Durant and his backers had BLM tendencies.

“I’ve never supported and do not support BLM, and there has never been anything on my social media accounts to indicate otherwise. The post referenced in this article was simply intended to show that I was listening, which I think is a cornerstone of being a leader.

“Last year when I began considering a run for the Senate, it was pointed out to me that my potential opponents could intentionally mischaracterize that post, which they are unfortunately now doing. You won’t find it on my social media channels anymore, because I did not want to be wrongly associated with a radical, left wing political agenda.

“In the Senate, I will always support our incredible law enforcement officers and fight to defeat the Defund the Police movement, which has led to an historic spike in violent crime across the country. 

“I’m sure my New Hampshire opponent Mike Durant is familiar with BLM — his liberal, anti-Trump backers in California live near their new Los Angeles mansion. And, just like BLM, Mr. Durant doesn’t blame violent criminals for a lack of law and order. Where BLM incorrectly blames law enforcement officers, Mr. Durant incorrectly blames gun owners. It’s shocking that he still won’t come out and say that disarming the population is NOT ‘a pretty good step toward law and order.’”

To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email jeff.poor@1819News.com.

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