Last night, DOJ revealed in a court filing that the FBI has recovered an encrypted Proud Boys chat from Joshua Pruitt's cell phone that illustrates a LOT of Jan. 6 pre-planning by the Maryland/DC chapter.
(Thread)
This all starts when Joshua Pruitt — then a D.C. resident and bartender — taking the Proud Boys oath on Nov. 14, 2020.
In the days afterwards, he texts acquaintances that he was drunk and didn't know anything about the Proud Boys when he took the oath, and complains he was "blacklisted" as a bartender.
But he liked the spotlight, DOJ says, and he got introduced to "high up conservatives."
He meets up with Proud Boys again on Dec. 12.
"apparently I’m a damn celeb amongst the Trump supporters," he writes to a friend.
He links up with the Maryland chapter.
On Dec. 18, 2020, Joshua Pruitt is on the "Cleared for Entry" encrypted chat of the Proud Boys Maryland/DC chapter.
He posts a selfie with his Thor hammer ring.
The next day, a Proud Boys member under the username "Downtown GIMLI" writes that Trump "has put Special Forces under civilian control"
Later that day comes Trump's "will be wild" tweet.
Inside the Proud Boys chat, the Capitol is immediately a target.
Downtown GIMLI reposts a TheDonald post and adds that they would be armed and come to the "FRONT FUCKING DOOR."
"Join me. Surround it. It belongs to us."
“Wednesday [January 6] is gonna be crazy and different and we gotta be ready.”
"'Im going to assume we all know the thing kicks off at the ellipse at 11 and the march will be to the capitol building.' He noted he would bring beer."
"Wrong MFer, of course we are back the blue, but stay out of my way [and] don’t be an innocent bystander.”
"That morning, Pruitt had also exchanged text messages with his Proud Boys associate from New York. Hours before the breach occurred, the exchange referenced storming the Capitol:"
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