Copyright dailymail
A city councilwoman in Oklahoma resigned this week after it was revealed that she told a supporter of President Donald Trump to kill herself. Bree Montoya, who represented Ward 3 in Norman, a city just south of Oklahoma City, got into a spat with a Facebook user in June over the size of the local 'No Kings' protests. These demonstrations occurred all over the United States and largely coincided with the US Army parade in Washington, D.C. celebrating the military branch's 250th anniversary. When arguing about the protest in Norman, Montoya told a woman named Audra Abbott to 'open a vein', screenshots show. She then upped the ante, saying: 'Go on, put a gun in your mouth and pull the trigger (sic).' Abbott spoke to KOKH and told the outlet she was shocked an elected official would carry herself this way. 'I saw that she was a city council member within moments of her posting it and I was like wow, I can't believe an elected official would talk like that online,' she said. Libs of TikTok, an influential conservative social media account, resurfaced Montoya's comments last week. Four days later, Montoya succumbed to the pressure and stepped down from office. 'In various capacities, I have served this community since 2008, and I am ready to pursue other interests. Effective immediately, I am resigning as council member for Ward 3,' she said during the September 23 city council meeting. Montoya also wrote an apology on her city council Facebook account several days before she resigned. 'I want to apologize for comments I made from my personal Facebook account a few months ago,' she wrote. 'There are no words to express how awful, inappropriate and unacceptable my comments were.' She said the exchange between her and Abbott 'got way out of hand', adding that she was 'completely out of line.' 'I was immediately disgusted with myself and knew I had crossed an unimaginable line. I sent a direct apology soon after,' she said. 'To those I've hurt and are disappointed in me, I am truly sorry. I humbly ask your forgiveness.' Still, Montoya stayed in her position for months after this incident, which led some to believe that the city council had swept this under the rug. 'If it hadn't have went viral with Libs of TikTok picking it up, I don't think anything would have happened at all. I don't think there would have been a public apology and I don't think she would have resigned,' Abbott told KOKH. Chaiya Raichik, the woman who runs the Libs of TikTok account, celebrated Montoya's resignation and gladly took the credit for ousting the liberal elected official. Norman councilwoman Helen Grant, who represents Ward 4, has also experienced backlash over a comment she made the day after Charlie Kirk was fatally shot on September 10. In a Facebook comment, Grant called Kirk 'a grifting narcissist' and 'a grotesque cheerleader' for the MAGA movement. Kirk, she said, 'spewed whatever kinds of hate would sell.' She added that he 'will be a footnote that gets buried under the next guy who has been growing an audience who then steps up to fill the void'. The Daily Mail has approached Grant for comment. In light of these controversies, citizens present at the September 23 council meeting called for a code of conduct to be implemented for the councilors. Layne Brown, a resident, also flamed Mayor Stephen Holman for not addressing Montoya's comments until it became a media spectacle. 'Sir, you were quiet about this entire situation and I think that just speaks to your integrity,' Brown said.
