PROVIDENCE – Gov. Daniel J. McKee fired one of his Statehouse staffers after it was discovered the employee posted pro-Palestinian political opinions online, WPRI-TV CBS 12 reported.
Miguel Sanchez, who is also a Providence city councilor, posted on the X social media platform that McKee fired him on Oct. 27.
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“On Friday, I was fired by Governor McKee for my public position on the atrocities occurring in Gaza,” Sanchez tweeted on X. “Since Oct. 7, I have used my voice as an elected official to condemn all violence against any innocent civilians. As Israel continues to escalate its massacre in Gaza, the need to speak out for innocent Palestinian civilians has never been more urgent – regardless of personal consequences.
“I join the 80% of Democrats who support a ceasefire and the increasing number of elected officials who are speaking out in favor of de-escalation. Gov. McKee may have taken away my job, but he won’t pressure me into silence while a genocide is occurring in front of our eyes.”
Both McKee and Sanchez are Democrats, though Sanchez is a member of the party’s progressive wing. Sanchez has accused Israel of committing “genocide” against Palestinians with its military response in the Gaza Strip in response to the Hamas attack on Oct. 7.
McKee spokesperson Olivia DaRocha told WPRI-TV that “a member of our senior staff” had spoken with the city councilor about his statements.
“The governor strongly believes that words matter – and words can have the potential to fan the flames of hate and division,” DaRocha told WPRI-TV. “The governor has unequivocally condemned the despicable acts of war and terror perpetrated by Hamas against the people of Israel. The governor also agrees with the president that both Israelis and Palestinians deserve to live in safety and peace.”
Sanchez was elected to the City Council last year to represent Ward 6. McKee first hired Sanchez in May 2021.
Other elected progressives came to Sanchez’s defense Monday, including State Sen. Sam Bell who told WPRI-TV that McKee’s decision to terminate Sanchez was “deeply disappointing,” and said, “Opposing the senseless slaughter is deeply personal to Jewish and Muslim communities because of our shared history. I’m appalled to think McKee might disagree.”
However, State Rep. Brian Newberry, R-North Smithfield, was critical of Sanchez’s defenders, tweeting “They are all more outraged by some guy losing a low level political patronage job then they are by Hamas’ atrocities. That says it all.”
The American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island Inc. said it found McKee’s firing of Sanchez “concerning.”
“We recognize that there are certain limited circumstances where the scope of free speech protection extended to government officials is reduced, but it is not obvious from Mr. Sanchez’s job responsibilities that they apply here or justify the extreme action of termination,” the ACLU said in its statement. “While the governor has made clear his vehement disagreement with the views expressed by Mr. Sanchez, we believe he should also clarify how those personally expressed views compromise the ability of either of them to discharge their public duties so as to warrant the sanction of firing. It is this factor, not merely strong disagreement with an employee’s personal, off-hours expression of controversial views, that should be key, and which is essential to prevent a chilling impact on the exercise of free speech by others in his administration.”
