He’s loyal, Mike Lee is. But the question is — to whom?

Recently released text messages between Sen. Lee and Donald Trump’s Chief of Staff Mark Meadows reveal that Sen. Lee was eager to push the envelope of ethics to overturn the presidential election results.

After the election, Lee scrambled to find a way to discredit the results. On Nov. 7, Lee texted Meadows a statement signed by the leaders of several prominent conservative groups urging Trump to “exhaust every legal and constitutional remedy” to challenge the results.

Later he urged Meadows to allow Sidney Powell’s conspiracy theories to obstruct the will of the people, spreading confusion about (disproven) voter fraud.

He distanced himself from Powell’s far-fetched global conspiracy theories but sought for other avenues to overturn the results which declared Joseph Biden the duly elected next president. Texting with Mark Meadows, he wrote, “If a very small handful of states were to have their legislatures appoint alternative slates of delegates, there could be a path.”

In the tapes, Lee frequently urges Meadows to “tell me what I should be saying!” Apparently, the truth wasn’t an option. By then, he had brought his matchsticks to a deadly campfire.

Lee, loyalist that he is, was busy hunting for any legal path to overthrow the authoritative election results. Ultimately, even he conceded that substituting new (unauthorized) electors to count the votes was unconstitutional.

Perhaps he took his matchsticks home, but his disturbing sycophantism had fueled the fire his colleagues and the rioters lit. He was complicit in setting the stage for the chaos, corruption, and cataclysm of Jan. 6.

Blinded by obeisance to the Golden One, Sen. Lee tried — valiantly, determinedly, unsuccessfully — to overthrow a legal election.

We Utah voters want someone with keener, quicker vision and loyalty to our state, as well to our long established democratic institutions. We do not want anyone who is beholden to a corrupt, dishonest power monger. We want someone who won’t defect from us to become a presidential toady. Lee himself advocated for term limits since he was elected 12 years ago.

Time to say goodbye, Mike.

Saying “I’m terribly sorry!” would be a good idea, too.

Linda Hoffman Kimball lives in Woodland and is the art director and former co-editor-in-chief of Segullah.org, an online Latter-day Saint women’s art and literary journal. Kimball is a graduate of both Wellesley College and Boston University.

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