Member of a Hate Group Becomes a City Commissioner in Fennville, Michigan

Morgan Bolles applied and was appointed to the Fennville MI, City Commission. Within one week of taking office, Bolles was exposed as being a member of the Proud Boys, a violent hate group.

The town of Fennville is 51% Hispanic. City residents were appalled to learn that Bolles, who had been appointed to a two-year term with no immediate process for removal, was the member of a hate group with a track record of racism, sexism, and violence. The appointment created an immediate uproar, forcing Bolles to read a prepared statement in his first public appearance: 

“I have never held hate for anyone because of their race, gender, sexual orientation or religious beliefs. I care about people. I care about our community. Moving forward, I hope to prove that I am deserving of this seat. I promise to do my best to serve this city of Fennville and all of its people, fairly and equally." 

Bolles’ promise to serve the people of Fennville equally stands at odds with his involvement with the Proud Boys, who describe themselves as “Western Chauvinists," and his own past behavior.

During a Second Amendment rally in Lansing, MI, in September 2019, Bolles wore a t-shirt with the picture of Che Guevara with limp wrists. “Socialism is for f-gs,” the t-shirt read. The “a” was replaced by a fig leaf. Additional photos from the same event, shared by Vigilant Antifascist Action show Bolles is shown making the ‘white power’ hand sign and carrying a Proud Boys flag.  

Bolles was dismissive of any criticism of his involvement in the group.

“People have the right to live however they want to,” he said in a phone interview with the Detroit News in 2019. “We shouldn’t be telling them what to do with their lives.”