U.S. Rep. Shomari Figures on Friday called for the resignation of an Alabama lawmaker arrested in an undercover prostitution sting and accused Republicans of staying quiet because state Rep. Brett Easterbrook is one of their own.
“Unless this guy’s defense is that it literally wasn’t him, he should resign immediately,” Figures wrote in a Facebook post on Friday. “Taxpayers shouldn’t be paying your salary if you’re out here trying to sexually abuse kids.”
Figures, a Democrat seeking reelection in Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District, blasted Republicans because they hadn’t called for Easterbrook to resign from the state legislature in the two weeks since he was accused of offering $500 for sex with someone he believed was a minor. Easterbrook is charged with attempted human trafficking.
“This ‘I’ll be quiet when he’s one of us’ attitude is truly pathetic,” Figures wrote. “That’s the exact same reason all the Epstein files still haven’t been released.”
Figures also took a shot at state Rep. Rhett Marques, his Republican opponent in the upcoming election.
“What do you think Rhett Marques? Wanna debate this?”
“You can hear crickets right now on this, my current opponent included,” Figures said.
A short time later, Marques answered both the resignation question and the broader political attack.
“He absolutely should resign, and should have already resigned,” Marques said. “There is no place in the Alabama Legislature for conduct so deplorable, and I have no hesitation saying that about a member of my own party.”
Marques then launched a political attack of his own.
“On the other hand, Shomari won’t call out the antisemitic socialists in his party who want to abolish prisons, defund the police and believe Israel doesn’t have a right to exist,” Marques said.
He also criticized Democrats over transgender healthcare for minors and called Figures “a hypocrite and a liar.”
Marques then turned Figures’ Epstein argument back on him.
“When he worked for Joe Biden’s DOJ, they didn’t release the Epstein files,” Marques said. “They released violent criminals from prison.”
Figures responded that Marques had only called for Easterbrook’s resignation after being challenged publicly.
“Rhett Marques had no intention of calling on his colleague to resign until he saw that I did it,” Figures said.
Figures also renewed his challenge to debate Marques.
“If he truly believes all this other stuff, we can just debate it in front of everyone,” Figures said. “I’ll even come to Enterprise and give him home field advantage.”
Figures served as deputy chief of staff and counselor to Attorney General Merrick Garland during the Biden administration before his election to Congress.
Marques and Easterbrook entered the Alabama House together in 2018 and have served as members of the House Republican caucus.
Easterbrook has represented House District 65 in south Alabama since 2018, and was arrested Oct. 2 during an operation in Escambia County that resulted in 17 arrests.
Court records allege Easterbrook agreed to pay $500 for sex with an undercover officer posing as an escort younger than 19, which Alabama law treats as a minor for purposes of the human trafficking charge.
An initial first-degree human trafficking charge was later amended to attempted first-degree human trafficking because there was no actual minor involved.
Easterbrook also faces a misdemeanor charge of soliciting prostitution.
Currently, the charges are allegations, and Easterbrook has not been convicted, but unlike two other public officials arrested during the same operation, Easterbrook remains in office.
Kory Wesley resigned as president of the Satsuma City School Board days after his arrest on an attempted human trafficking charge.
The City of Orange Beach also said Public Works Director Timothy Tucker, who was charged with soliciting prostitution, was no longer employed by the city.
The arrests have been widely covered by media outlets around Alabama and been the focus of many social media posts.
Some noted Easterbrook voted for a bill imposing the death penalty for child predators. That legislation would not apply to the charges Easterbrook faces.
Easterbrook was already leaving the Legislature, as he did not seek reelection and his term ends after the Nov. 3 election.
