Libertarian state Rep. Marshall Burt, of Wyoming, is once again under scrutiny for a tattoo on his left forearm displaying the Roman numeral “III” surrounded by 13 stars, and above the year 1776, according to NBC affiliate KPVI and local news site WyoFile.com. The symbol is associated with the Three Percenters movement, a far-right, anti-government militia classified as an extremist group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. A photo of Burt’s ink first appeared on national Libertarian Party chairman Joe Bishop Henchman’s Facebook page last November, but was removed after inquiries from a reporter.
In his defense, Burt this week insisted he is not part of the Three Percenters, and said the tattoo simply denotes his support for states’ rights and individual gun ownership.
“I got the tattoo because the American Revolution symbolism appealed to me, and to me it represents my solid commitment to the Second and Tenth Amendment,” Burt said in a written statement cited by KPVI. “I have never been a member of a militia group, and I think we have much bigger issues to address, like reducing wasteful spending and getting patients and veterans access to treatments, rather than to dwell on something as minor as a tattoo.”
Members of the Three Percenters were among those who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 in a failed attempt to prevent now-President Joe Biden’s victory from being certified. Other legislators linked to the group include Reps. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA).
Read it at KPVI
