Thread by @JeffWeinerOS

New: @Jason_Garcia, @martinecomas and I examine the role of a far-right blogger, Roger Stone protégé and Proud Boys associate in the smear campaign against a political rival of Joel Greenberg that led to the former tax collector's initial arrest.

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@Jason_Garcia @martinecomas Engels describes himself as a journalist, but his blog's Facebook page was erased in a purge of suspected pro-Stone propaganda. We also spoke to an Engels target, Jay Miller, who said Engels offered to switch to favorable coverage — in exchange for $10K.

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@Jason_Garcia @martinecomas Miller was part of Save Rural Seminole, a citizen group opposed to River Cross, a development led by Greenberg ally Chris Dorworth. As we've previously reported (bit.ly/2QVYwuH) Greenberg worked with Dorworth to pressure fellow electeds to drop opposition to River Cross.

@Jason_Garcia @martinecomas Around the time Engels was blogging about him, Miller's employer received an anonymous letter falsely accusing him of crimes. He still doesn't know who wrote it. But another Save Rural Seminole leader would soon face similar tactics.

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@Jason_Garcia @martinecomas Brian Beute, an SRS co-founder and teacher who filed to run against Greenberg, was falsely accused of abusing a student in letters to his school. Engels later made allusions to the allegations — before they were public — in videos calling Beute "creepy."

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@Jason_Garcia @martinecomas Greenberg has since confessed to sending the letters — his prints and DNA were on them — and creating fake Facebook and Twitter accounts that tarred Beute as a racist. He pleaded guilty to a stalking charge, one of six federal crimes in his plea deal.

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@Jason_Garcia @martinecomas Engels has not been charged or publicly implicated in the stalking case. He declined to comment for this story, as did the criminal defense attorney he hired last year, Thomas D. Somerville.

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