LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – In an exclusive interview with Trucker Randy on his radio show “Your Defending Fathers” on Patriot Voice Radio Network, State Representative Neil Friske (R-Charlevoix) discussed his current state of mind and the recent tumultuous events in his political journey on Monday morning.

Friske is currently under investigation following his arrest for possible sexual assault and firearm felony charges. Although he was released without being charged, the Ingham County Prosecutor’s Office has requested further investigation.

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The arrest followed police response to reports of gunfire and a potential sexual assault in Friske’s Lansing neighborhood. Friske’s attorney asserts his innocence and is conducting an independent investigation.

Friske’s campaign suggests the timing of the incident is suspicious, linking it to his upcoming primary election against Parker Fairbairn. Friske, who is completing his first term and is a member of the House Freedom Caucus, is seeking reelection.

Personal resilience amidst adversity.

When asked about his personal feelings after recent events in the radio interview, Friske expressed gratitude for the support from his friends and family. “I’m doing fine…as good as could be expected under the circumstances,” he shared, emphasizing the crucial role of his support network in sustaining him through challenges. Despite the long road ahead, Friske remains optimistic and focused on staying upbeat and positive.

A host under siege: Randy’s cyber attack.

Radio host Randy shared his own ordeal, revealing that his home studio was cyber-attacked at 3:00 a.m. on Friday. He said the attack occurred as he prepared to discuss an article from the Gateway Pundit (GP) about Friske who says that the legislator was robbed.

According to their report, which hasn’t been independently substantiated by Michigan News Source or any other media outlet apart from GP, “Friske was being robbed by a young woman who demanded money to leave his condo. The woman became irate and started threatening to harm him, at one point picking up a pair of scissors and trying to stab at and kill Friske, while rummaging around looking for things to steal. She called the police and falsely said that Friske had shot her, falsely saying ‘he’s shooting me’ even though no shots were fired. The woman found a laptop, a briefcase, and thousands of dollars in cash that she then left with.” They add that Friske’s phone, car, and driver’s license were all taken from him, according to the report.

Overwhelming support for Friske.

On the radio show, Trucker Randy highlighted the overwhelming support Friske has received from the public, including the Mackinac County GOP’s vote to donate $2,000 to his campaign. He told Friske that messages of encouragement and offers to help flooded in, with many expressing their intent to vote for Friske.

Trucker Randy lays out timeline.

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Trucker Randy said to Friske, “You know, Neil, I’m telling you, man, this, when you lay out the dots, the Farm Bureau Agra PAC endorsement on Tuesday, Bergman endorses in a primary challenge – our own congressman endorses your opponent. And then you’re arrested, process held without bail, without bond, all the false narratives. You’re released without charges, without a bond, and now you’re a free man, and they’re like, okay, well, the absentee ballots went out on Saturday. Let’s see if we can impact the elect. This stinks. Neil, is my personal opinion.”

Friske answered, “I can’t really comment on the specifics of things but you know just the way events unfolded it was very clear to me that something wasn’t right. And, and I was being…I was being framed and trying to be framed and being set up and that’s how, that’s how these people work, you know. And, and it’s just so frustrating.”

Clearly pointing to his opponent, Fairbairn, Friske added, “It’s just amazing to me how desperate people are that they go to these kind of lengths to try to destroy someone.”

Michigan News Source reached out to Fairbairn about the accusations but he did not return our request for comment.

Misleading attack ads.

Friske also addressed misleading attack ads from his opponent, which claimed he supported AI- generated explicit content. He emphasized the importance of understanding the full context of his votes and urged people to read his vote explanations. Friske clarified his position on House Bills 5569 and 5570, supporting the concept of protecting individuals from non-consensual sharing of explicit AI- generated images. However, he noted the problematic details in the bills that prevented him from voting in favor. “I support the concept, but the devil is in the details,” he said, explaining that the bills lacked proper safeguards and allowed for potential misuse.

Friske explained that the attack ads against him are pretty much all the same where “they take a narrative, they twist it to fit what they’re trying to say, and I have a vote explanation out there for every vote I’ve taken.” He added, “I have been extremely principled in every vote I’ve cast.”

Moving forward.

Despite the challenges, Friske looks forward to the path ahead. With a crucial week of legislative sessions in Lansing and the upcoming campaign trail, he remains focused on his mission. On the radio show, he invited constituents to connect with him and even provided his cell phone number for direct communication.

“Please be patient,” he asked, acknowledging the overwhelming response and his need to balance personal and professional commitments.

On Monday night in Petoskey, Friske appeared in a candidate forum which included no questions from the audience. The other candidates at the forum were his Republican primary opponent, Parker Fairbairn, and also Jodi Decker who is running on the Democrat side.

Friske said at the forum, “I’m thrilled to be here tonight, and I mean that literally,” he said. “I’m thrilled to be anywhere that’s not a jail cell.” He added, “I was arrested and held due to some false accusations,” Friske told the Petoskey audience in his opening statement. “I was released with no charges. I did absolutely nothing wrong and I’m certain that when the police are done conducting their investigation, I will be completely exonerated. So far this has not been a miscarriage of justice, it’s been a miscarriage of the media.”

His comments coincide with a personal statement he released on Monday saying although there are details he can’t discuss, that he was detained due to “false accusations” and when no evidence was found to support the claims against him, he was released with no charges and is confident that the investigation will “totally exonerate me.”