Indiana Sen. Scott Baldwin (R-Noblesville) has been linked to the anti-government extremist group the Oath Keepers.
A ProPublica analysis of a data leak of the violent militia group listed Baldwin as an “annual member.”
The nonprofit news organization analyzed a leaked list of more than 35,000 members of the Oath Keepers and found about four dozen state and local government officials across the country – all of them Republicans.
Prosecutors have said Oath Keepers were part of the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
Baldwin, a former Indianapolis police officer, said he gave $30 to the group in 2010, when he was running for county sheriff. In a statement, he said the Oath Keepers were described to him then as a "Second Amendment rights group" and that he’s had no interaction or communication with it since that decade-old donation.
Senate Republican Leader Sen. Rodric Bray (R-Martinsville) noted Baldwin said he wasn't affiliated with the group.
"In his time in the Indiana Senate, Sen. Baldwin has been a very thoughtful and capable leader for us on a number of subjects," Bray said in a statement.
In a statement, the Indiana Democratic Party called the reported connection “alarming” and said Baldwin should denounce the group.
Contact reporter Brandon at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.
