01/25/2026
A MESSAGE FROM THE SARGENT AT ARMS OF FREEDOM CHAPTER:
Today I stepped down as Sergeant at Arms and want to clarify why so the rest of the chapter hears this directly from me, not through rumors.
I joined the chapter in the fall of 2024 and took over the newsletter because there was a need. In July of 2025, I accepted the nomination for Sergeant at Arms, and the responsibilities of Facebook, PR, and Communications also became mine because others did not want to handle them. I took on these tasks because they needed to be done, not because I sought recognition. I’ve always tried to serve this chapter where help was needed.
Over the past several months, deeply personal matters involving my family were brought into ABATE business without my consent. False rumors were started suggesting I had done something to my wife, rather than acknowledging that she chose to leave our family. Those rumors were untrue and damaging.
One chapter member went as far as contacting the FBI about me twice based on those assumptions. There was no wrongdoing, no findings, and no justification for that escalation.
I also became aware that personal details about my marriage were being discussed by the Vice President with non-members, inquiring about my wife. My family situation should never have been discussed outside this organization or by anyone period.
Public Social Media posts were made by some of these members calling out that fact that my wife had left where my children could view them, knowing full well that my girls were having an issue handling the fact that their mother abandoned then to the extent that it was triggering one of them to self harm and be institutionalized for periods of time.
Additionally, I noticed a concerning priority within the chapter. There was more focus on my wife leaving than on the fact that she had accepted the Secretary position knowing full well she was leaving, intentionally putting the chapter in a difficult situation.
I was told that "as friends, they should be concerned" but yet not one of these "friends" reached out to see if I was okay or if my girls were okay during this difficult time.
Meanwhile, I was blamed for the failure of the November ride, despite the Vice President having taken responsibility for securing locations for the dice run and failing to complete that task. Assigning blame while ignoring agreed-upon responsibilities further eroded trust.
I addressed all of these concerns directly with the President and Vice President. I was basically told my personal feelings did not matter, accountability would not be taken, and no apology would be offered. At that point, the trust required to serve in a leadership role no longer existed.
For that reason, I chose to resign my position and remove myself from the situation. This decision was not made lightly. I respect many individuals in this chapter and what ABATE is meant to stand for, but my family, my reputation, and basic boundaries must come first.
I wish the chapter well moving forward.
Mike Martini
