July 9, 2025
Media contact: Andy Hogue
andyhogue@ymail.com
Political Prisoner Speaks Out: GOP Strategist Imprisoned for Refusing to Lie About Trump, 2018 Florida Elections
‘I stood my ground against Biden’s DOJ — and I was thrown in prison for it’
AUSTIN, Texas — In a stunning example of political persecution, Mike Shirley, a Republican political strategist from Texas, is now serving a 7-year-plus federal prison sentence after standing up to President Joe Biden’s Department of Justice at a time when Democrats had full control of Washington.
The Federalist recently exposed Shirley’s case in a scathing article, “Biden’s Department Of Justice Sent A Texan To 7 Years In Prison For No Crime,” by former Austin City Council member Mackenzie Kelly. According to Kelly, Shirley’s trial was riddled with blatant misconduct: The Biden DOJ couldn’t prove its case under the law as written — so it and the judge rewrote the jury instructions after the trial closed, broadening the statute beyond its text. Prosecutors offered contradictory theories throughout the case, repeatedly shifting their narrative just to secure a conviction. Multiple, other sources have confirmed this information.
The Biden DOJ ignored clear Supreme Court precedent that should have barred the charges entirely. The Biden DOJ relied on a witness that invoked his Fifth amendment over 60 times to include escaping charges of child sex trafficking among other potential crimes.
“If the DOJ can change the boundaries of the law on a whim during trial to convict someone they politically oppose, no American is safe,” Shirley said from prison.
The Real Reason Behind His Prosecution
The Biden DOJ demanded Shirley:
1. Revive the discredited Russia hoax against Donald Trump
2. Falsely claim the 2018 Florida recounts — which elected Gov. Ron DeSantis and Sen. Rick Scott — were stolen
3. Falsely confess to the existence of an illegal GOP fundraising operations to impede the 2024 elections
Shirley refused to lie, knowing full well there was no cavalry coming to rescue him under Democrat control.
“I stood my ground against their lies when Democrats controlled everything. No one came to save me,” Shirley said. “Now, I sit here as a forgotten political prisoner — because I refused to lie.”
Why This Case Matters
Shirley’s supporters warn that this case is a blueprint for weaponized prosecutions against everyday Americans who dare to speak the truth. While most of the media looked the other way. “What happened to him isn’t just a personal tragedy — it’s a warning about how the federal government can weaponize vague laws to criminalize political opponents,” Kelly’s article concluded.
“This isn’t about just one man,” Shirley says. “This is about whether we will live in a country where telling the truth sends you to prison.”
More information and documents can be found at http://www.FreeMikeShirley.com that show the depth of the Biden DOJ's targeted political persecution. A crowdfunding campaign has been set up to help defray volunteer expenses at GiveSendGo.com/FreeMikeShirley. Interviews and further documentation available upon request.
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