‘Silent Epidemic’: Maine Lawmakers Shrug Off 18% Increase in Excess Deaths

(The Defender)—Rep. Heidi Sampson, a Republican legislator from Maine, in recent months made headlines for her actions on the floor of the Maine House of Representatives, where she presented alarming data on Maine’s “silent epidemic” of excess deaths.

She also raised critical questions about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines and warned against the growing influence of international organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO).

Excess death data ‘literally earthshaking’

As the COVID-19 pandemic progressed, Sampson grew increasingly concerned about the data showing a rise in excess deaths among young and middle-aged adults in Maine.

In March, she decided to take action. Using 2015-2022 Maine all-cause mortality data analyzed by a statistician, she told her colleagues that Maine has since 2020 seen close to an 18% increase in excess deaths among 25- to 64-year-olds.

The spike in excess deaths for 2020 was 6.3% compared to the background rate of about 1.5% from 2015-2020.

Sampson cited the CEO of the One America insurance company, saying he “publicly disclosed that during the third and fourth quarter of 2021, death in people of working age 18 to 64 was 40% higher than it was before the pandemic.”

“This data was compiled by actuaries who are the mathematical experts insurance companies rely upon,” she said. “A 40% increase in deaths is literally earthshaking. Even a 10% increase in excess deaths would have been a 1-in-200-year event.”

She went on to describe the increasingly common phenomenon of “sudden deaths,” citing examples such as death by heart attack, stroke, meningitis, brain aneurysm, pulmonary embolism, anaphylaxis and asthma.

She encouraged lawmakers to do their own searches. “You will find hundreds, even thousands, of examples. A few years ago, this was unheard of.”

Sampson said the newly coined term “sudden death syndrome (SDS)” was a “silent epidemic” that demanded immediate attention and investigation.

She told lawmakers:

“SDS is an umbrella term. It includes biologically based scenarios describing [the] quick onset of unexpected mortality without prior signs of illness. I’ll repeat: without prior signs of illness.

“Autopsies may be non-conclusive due to the lack of obvious abnormalities. They may also be non-conclusive because we may not be asking the right questions.”

Citing what she called the “shocking” nature of the data, Sampson called for the Maine House to investigate.

“If there is even a chance this data is correct, we have the moral obligation to our children to investigate,” she said. “This data represents a flashing red light.”

However, despite her efforts, Maine lawmakers swiftly rejected Sampson’s joint order, along party lines. “The Democrats could not reject this order fast enough,” she told The Defender.

Two Democratic lawmakers, both doctors, approached her after her speech, wanting to know where she got the data and stating they thought the increased deaths were due to suicides.

In other discussions, Sampson said people didn’t want to believe the data. She encouraged them to “trust but verify” and asked why they were not doing their due diligence to investigate.

“They just shrugged their shoulders,” she said.

“We shut the whole damn state down for 6%,” she said. “What are we doing with almost 18%? As a mother and a grandmother, this entire issue deeply concerns me. I want my children and their children to have long, healthy lives. We need to get to the bottom of this.”

V-safe data ‘a resounding alarm’ on vaccine harms

In addition to her concerns about excess deaths, Sampson also has been a vocal advocate for vaccine safety and transparency.

In a separate action on the House floor on April 3, she presented alarming data from the CDC’s V-safe surveillance system, which tracks adverse events following COVID-19 vaccination, and called for a ban on these vaccines.

Sampson began by explaining the significance of the V-safe data, noting that it was collected from over 10 million people who were among the first to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

“These were excited participants, eager for this new novel vaccine,” she said. “They wanted it to be safe and effective. They believed it was a good thing, and therefore would have no incentives to make up their stories.”

She revealed the shocking results of the V-safe data analysis:

“7.7%, or 782,013 people, needed medical attention. Of those 7.7%, 70% needed to be hospitalized or went to the ER or urgent care. Slightly less than 30% needed telehealth care. On average, each person needed medical attention two to three times.

“Additionally, 13% of the individuals reported they were unable to go to work or go to school, and about 12% were unable to perform normal activities.”

Sampson noted another 2.5 million people had to miss school, work or other normal activities. “This means 33% of unique individuals were affected by negative health impacts.”

She also highlighted the concerning symptoms reported in the free-text entries of the V-safe survey, including chest pains, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, tinnitus, menstrual disturbances and miscarriages.

Calling these statistics “a resounding alarm,” Sampson asked her colleagues to halt all COVID-19 vaccinations.

“The data are in — it is not safe and effective,” she said. “And until the federal government removes the liability shield from the vaccine manufacturers, the COVID-19 shot must be removed from the Maine market.”

Sampson told the Defender she once again faced resistance from her colleagues. She described their response as tense and uncomfortable, with many refusing to engage in further discussion or consider the implications of the V-safe data.

Pushback against WHO agenda

As the end of Sampson’s eight-year term limit approaches, she has turned her attention to the WHO agenda and its potential effect on Maine’s sovereignty and self-determination.

On April 11, she warned her Maine House colleagues about the WHO’s proposed pandemic treaty and amendments to the International Health Regulations, arguing that they would grant the organization sweeping powers to dictate public health policies at the expense of individual states’ rights.

“Did you consent to it?” she asked her colleagues. “I know I didn’t.”

She warned about the critical votes of the World Health Assembly that took place several weeks ago in Geneva, Switzerland, explaining how these policies would be binding to Maine and other states “unless we make a clear declaration they have no authority.”

With the assistance of Dr. Meryl Nass and the information on the Door to Freedom website, Sampson provided her colleagues with a wealth of background information on the WHO’s agenda.

She highlighted specific aspects of the WHO’s agenda that she found particularly concerning, such as the proposed BioHub pathogen-sharing system and the push for nations to develop genetic sequencing labs.

“Does anyone see a problem with this?” she asked. “Is it just me? What about the high risks of lab leaks?”

Sampson said her colleagues “very quickly” voted down this joint order, also.

“It was heart-sickening to watch my colleagues on the other side of the aisle rapidly stand, object, and vote against this motion,” Sampson wrote.

“All I can say is now they are responsible for the information they have heard,” she told The Defender. “It is on the record.”

As Sampson prepares to leave the Maine House of Representatives, she shows no signs of slowing down in her fight for health freedom.

Sampson’s experiences in the legislature have only reinforced her belief in the importance of being a “squeaky wheel” and speaking truth to power, even in the face of overwhelming opposition.

She is spearheading the Maine Education Project, an initiative to expose the failures of the state’s education system and empower parents, teachers and school board members to effect change.