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Wisconsin congressional candidate charged: open records
A candidate for Wisconsin's 6th Congressional District has been charged in connection with an alleged road rage incident in Mequon. The incident included a profanity-laden tirade over Israel that was caught on video. Open records show the interview with police from both parties afterward.
MEQUON, Wis. - A candidate for Wisconsin's 6th Congressional District has been charged in connection with an alleged road rage incident in Mequon. The incident included a profanity-laden tirade over Israel that was caught on video.
Open records show the interview with police from both parties afterward.
Interview with police
What they're saying:
"I was heated because I was emotionally upset," 54-year-old Matthew Arndt said in an interview with Mequon Police.
Matthew Arndt, a Green Party candidate running for Wisconsin's 6th Congressional District seat, captured on video in profanity-filled tirade over Israel.
During that interview, Arndt described what was going through his head during the video. Arndt is a candidate for Wisconsin’s Sixth Congressional District. Prosecutors charged him with one count of disorderly conduct following a road rage incident at a Mequon gas station.
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"You could probably even say these people are just trying to intimidate a candidate for Congress," Arndt said.
Wisconsin congressional candidate charged with disorderly conduct
A candidate for Wisconsin's 6th Congressional District has been charged in connection with an alleged road rage incident in Mequon. The incident included a profanity-laden tirade over Israel that was caught on video.
Arndt told police he thinks he was targeted because of his stance against Israel and that he has been harassed previously. The other driver had a bumper sticker condemning Hamas.
"I have a feeling he went out of his way this morning to try to track me, possible follow me, or where my kids were," Arndt said.
While police interviewed the other man involved, he said he did not know who Arndt was and thinks he was targeted because of his bumper sticker. That man told police Arndt was driving aggressively, and both gave each other the finger.
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Wisconsin congressional candidate arrested, tirade over Israel
A candidate for Wisconsin's 6th Congressional District was arrested after he was caught on video shouting obscenities about Israel at a person in a gas station parking lot.
"This was for sure about being Jewish, and Israel. This was nothing to do with my driving," the man said during a police interview.
That man, who was not charged, admitted he followed Arndt into the gas station parking lot and started recording video. Arndt was later arrested and charged.
"Yeah, it was stupid, I shouldn’t have done it," Arndt said.
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The Wisconsin Green Party said it supports Arndt. In a statement to FOX6 News, the party said in part, "We stand with Matthew Arndt. We stand for peace. We stand for a free Palestine."
Arndt’s initial court appearance is scheduled for next month.
Portions of this article were formatted using A.I. FOX6’s Christina Van Zelst and an editor reviewed it for accuracy and tone prior to publishing.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from Mequon Police Department open records, police interview recordings with Matthew Arndt, police interview recordings with the other driver, prosecutors, court filing records, previous FOX6 News video footage, a statement from the Wisconsin Green Party to FOX6 News and FOX6 News reporting.