Bill Akins resigned Tuesday evening as secretary of the Pasco Republican Executive Committee when he said he discovered party loyalty trumped the First Amendment.
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Akins — who also released a lengthy statement to the Tampa Bay Times detailing his rationalization for using "death panels” to describe a portion of the Affordable Care Act during a town hall meeting Saturday in New Port Richey — said he couldn’t have provided those comments without the party’s blessing if he had remained a part of the Republican Executive Committee (REC).
"I just found out within the past day that, according to the loyalty oath I signed with REC, I’m not supposed to be making any statements, even if I want to do so as a private citizen, before running it past the REC and the chairman of the Republican Party,” Akins said Wednesday morning.
"If liberals want to say ‘Ha ha, we got him to resign,’ they did not. I resigned so I have the freedom to state what I want to state as a private citizen and I don’t want to be restricted by the (party’s) loyalty oath,” Akins said.
Akins, who said he joined the executive committee about six years ago, became secretary in December and had been scheduled to serve through the 2018 election. Party Chairman Randy Evans confirmed Akins resignation, but declined further comment.
Akins, 63, made national news during a U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis town hall meeting Saturday when he said "death panels” were part of the Affordable Care Act, a claim debunked by PolitiFact in 2009. The crowd shouted him down, calling him a liar. He called them "children.” Later, Akins became the subject of national ridicule when the Washington Post revealed his Facebook posts contained racist and fake news stories and memes.
Facebook via Washington Post
Black rioters can be compared to monkeys.
The uproar prompted Evans to issue a statement apologizing to Bilirakis, R-Palm Harbor, "for any harm or discredit caused by statements” from Atkins.
Akins said he disagreed with Evans’ statement.
"I don’t feel I embarrassed Congressman Bilirakis. I totally disagree with that,” Akins said.
Evans’ statement offered support for Akins, saying "as a Christian, I believe in forgiveness. I forgive Mr. Akins for mistakenly misrepresenting” the party. Evans said he did not ask Akins to resign.
Akins emailed a statement to the Tampa Bay Times Wednesday morning about the Independent Payment Advisory Board provision of the Affordable Care Act. The board, known by the acronym IPAB is a 15-person panel that must recommend to Congress how to slow the rate of Medicare spending increases. The federal health care law, however, states IPAB is forbidden from submitting "any recommendation to rationing health care” according to a 2011 PolitiFact ruling.
"I did not resign under any pressure or any heat, but I couldn’t sent that to you unless I had that approved by the REC first,” Akins said. "I think I can do more as a private citizen, unfettered by the loyalty oath, so I resigned.”
On the blog: Full statement from Bill Akins
But while Akins provides a detailed defense of why he asserted the Affordable Care Act had death panels, left unmentioned in his statement are the Facebook posts which drew the national attention to him.
Facebook via Washington Post
Black rioters can be compared to monkeys.
Facebook via Washington Post
"Chemtrails" left by airplanes are a public health risk.
Facebook via Washington Post
Hillary Clinton murdered her political opponents.
Facebook via Washington Post
Antonin Scalia might have been murdered.
Facebook via Washington Post
Saudi Arabia funded Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign.
Facebook via Washington Post
Nancy Pelosi is mentally handicapped.
Facebook via Washington Post
Former president Barack Obama was foreign-born and Muslim.
Facebook via Washington Post
The left is engendering hatred against white people.
Facebook via Washington Post
"Climate change" is a globalist hoax.
Facebook via Washington Post
President Trump’s inauguration crowd was bigger than photos portrayed.
Facebook via Washington Post
Muslims can’t claim racial discrimination.
Facebook via Washington Post
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