revived long-standing concerns that inked deputy groups [...] Spartans, Regulators, Grim Reapers and Banditos [...] operate out of several Sheriff’s Department stations and represent what many in the community see as criminal gangs within law enforcement.
Decorated former Marine Art Gonzalez became an L.A. County Sheriff’s deputy.
When another deputy was badly beaten by other members, he reported it to Internal Affairs.
Afterward, he was texted a photo of a note written on the station’s keypad: “Art is a rat.”
For six hours, [Gonzales] testified under oath
[...]
In his testimony for an excessive-force lawsuit, he alleged that deputy Miguel Vega killed 18-year-old Andres Guardado, to impress the Executioners gang in hopes of being initiated.
The existence of such fraternities has sparked multiple internal investigations and recently a federal probe by the FBI, but the groups have remained entrenched, with many civil liberties advocates accusing the Sheriff’s Department of turning a blind eye.
“There is a long history of white supremacist gang infiltration in the ranks of LASD, dating from 1971. In the 1980s, these gangs proliferated throughout the LASD “at overwhelmingly white sheriff’s stations that were islands
...
in Black and Latino immigrant communities.” They have been characterized as “powerful forces with the sheriff’s department who beat and harass local residents and, at times, actively work to intimidate other nonaffiliated officers.”
Los Angeles County has paid out “roughly $55 million in settlements” in nearly 60 cases related to these gang-affiliated deputies and their violations of civil rights. Nearly 30 years later, these gangs continue to attract younger deputies entering the LASD.
The Epoch Times started their money laundering operation sometime in 2020.
After the 2020 election, they began producing more propaganda for Trump and becoming involved in stop the steal efforts.
Somewhat symbiotic. Trump massively boosted them, and they helped him.
The highly polished propaganda video that Holehouse (an Epoch Times alum until 2015) published, seemed custom made for the Trump campaign, and he boosted it four times. 2 million views.
Trump supporters began driving up the company’s stature. 6 million followers on Facebook.
As early as Dec 1 2020, Epoch Times subsidiary NTD began broadcasting the “Kraken” press conferences (Jenna Ellis, Phil Kline, Tony Shaffer).
By March, Lauren Boebert was promoting them as the most trusted source of information when people wanted Dems locked up.
I’ve always said that while there were some normal human bad decisions in Fani Willis’ relationship, they weren’t enough to justify all of this - and what *should* get way more coverage is the crusade against her, and against the rule of law.
I think it’s important for people to see Ben Smith’s interview with Joe Kahn, Executive Editor of the New York Times, so I’m posting screenshots of the full article here.
The fact that he misrepresents and strawmans people’s issues with their reporting is really concerning.
🧵
I appreciate that @semaforben got Kahn to answer questions about this, but I’m also disappointed at the soft touch questions that tiptoe around elephants in the room, which IMO silently confirms that NYT is avoiding real accountability for any of this.
@semaforben At one point in the interview, after claiming that the NYT’s role is to inform the public, Kahn even admits that citizens are woefully uninformed or misinformed about highly important issues.
But then he walks right past it, making clear that isn’t really his priority at all.
I try my best not to weigh in on topics that I’m not well versed on, and don’t weigh in on divisive, emerging events until I can share what I believe is reliable info. The same goes for the Palestine protests.
If anyone cares about my personal views, I will say this much.
/1
What is happening in Gaza is a humanitarian nightmare. I blame Netanyahu, Likud, and the right wing extremists who control the government.
They are Israel’s Trump and MAGA. Bibi is corrupt. His actions harm Israel on the world stage. An authoritarian who inflames divisions.
/2
I believe Bibi let the people of Israel down. He shuffled funds to Hamas to keep Gaza & the West Bank divided b/c he wants to undermine the very idea that Palestinians should have their own state.
He pulled resources to help extremists push more settlements, ensuring a 10/7.
/3