#SeditionHunters - today's arrest of former Green Beret & Florida Congressional candidate Jeremy Brown suggests that FBI now has a strategy for going after the semi-organized groups who arrived armed and ready on Jan 6, but remained on the edges waiting. 1/
Brown's Signal chat (L) shows intent to storm the Capitol; he called his group "Ground Force One". But, on Jan 6, while he was on the E. Plaza, he didn't attack. (The pic at R is him shoved BY police). How to avoid a defense of `selective prosecution'? 2/ extremism.gwu.edu/sites/g/files/…
Brown's charging documents start with 11 pages describing the Capitol attack in detail as an attempt to stop certification of the election. Only on p. 12 do "facts specific" to him appear. He's quoted as telling police they're "violating the laws"... 3/
..but documents spend more time on intent, pre-planning, & coordination than on Jan 6 actions. He met beforehand with someone who pled guilty to conspiracy (likely an Oath Keeper since he is #GoatOK, h/t @bennybryant17 ). Watch his March interview... 4/
Brown aka #GoatOK was interviewed by FBI already in early Jan; he claimed his role was to "provide[] security for VIPs at the 'Stop the Steal' rally." By Oct., FBI's made it clear that excuse doesn't wash. Pre-planning, knowledge of the attack, presence on grounds seem enough. 5/
Brown / #GoatOK's interview was posted by @visionsurreal in July in thread exploring links between 1AP and groups like the Oath Keepers. By now it is very clear that many groups were at the Capitol, with coordination and some view of a larger plan. 6/
At end of day, a frustrated Jeremy Brown, like many other Capitol 'hard men', was sulking on the NE path, fuming over the police pushback. Hear him shout about "tyrants all over the world". (h/t @OSINTyeti, & journo @sandibachom for great footage). 7/
Track Jeremy Brown throughout the day on Jan 6 w/ help from @OSINTyeti. In the morning he's at the Ellipse rally wearing a baseball cap (L), in the afternoon on the E. Plaza in tactical vest and bike helmet (top R), then at end of day on the NE path with gear off (bottom R). 8/
Photographer Yuri Gripas caught Jeremy Brown aka #GoatOK at the morning rally with other Oath Keepers. The OKs are one of the few militia groups at the Capitol in full-blown logo gear; even Brown has his shirt with gold lettering on - you can see it peeking out of his jacket. 9/
For an interesting perspective on Brown's presence at the Capitol (& on political grandstanding by servicemembers in general), here's a Connecting Vets article by journalist @JackMurphyRGR, who served with Brown & saw his radicalization in recent years 10/ audacy.com/connectingvets…
Another interesting article by @JackMurphyRGR from Aug. 2020 mentions the now-arrested Jeremy Brown (his "team sergeant") as an example of a veteran falling for conspiracy theories after leaving the service. 11/ audacy.com/connectingvets…
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Yesterday's Dem unity is wonderful to see. Fascism may be on its heels. Just realize that the forces against Harris are the same as those against Biden. Here's media from today. The broligarchs won't quit. And Putin's fight is existential now. People must stand up for her. 1/
There's really no daylight between Peter Thiel's crowd and Putin anymore. Elon Musk and David Sacks are spreading direct Russian propaganda. And Putin's only hope of survival is electing Trump/Vance. This set will throw everything against Kamala Harris. 2/
We should be optimistic. But we should also be prepared. What's coming will be ugly: misogyny, racism, lies. And, if the propaganda doesn't work, whatever else Putin can do to hurt the US - whatever divides and demoralizes. Unity and confidence and teamwork is the way to win. 3/
A fascinating trend in those calling for Biden to drop out: they're all in deep blue districts. No experience with swing voters. Their political world is fighting with other Dems in primaries. Here are today's: Huffman, Garcia, Pocan, Veasey. Their last elections: 68-74% D. 1/
Who else called for Biden to drop out? Adam Schiff - last election 73% D. Jamie Raskin - 80% D. These people live in deep blue bubbles. Their calls to drop out include no analysis, just "vibes". Why do we trust their instincts for swing voters in MI, WI, PA, NV, GA? 2/
Jamie Raskin is a good man but his experience with swing voters is zero. And on the J6C he ducked the hard task - his colleagues. Two of Peter Thiel's avatars, Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley, were key to the attack. Raskin let them slide. Now Thiel controls the GOP candidate for VP. 3/
We now know Trump's campaign strategy. With JD Vance for VP, it won't be traditional: Vance, like all Peter Thiel proteges, repels voters. Trump's only path to win is by using vast sums of money to divide the left, slander Biden and Harris, and suppress the vote. Brace for it. 1/
All Thiel's candidates ooze JD's repellent brew of resentment and entitlement. So let's review, to prep: Cruz, Hawley, Masters, Vance. Ted Cruz: his Princeton roommate said "We should be afraid" and "I would rather pick someone out of the phone book". 2/ thedailybeast.com/ted-cruz-at-pr…
Josh Hawley: his hometown newspaper crusades against him. His childhood neighbor said "I wouldn't vote for him for dog catcher. I wouldn't inflict that on the dog." Hawley won in MO, but a presidential ticket has to win nationwide. Biden can do it. 3/ archive.ph/jhuyi
Today's horror, but an expected one: Aileen Cannon has dismissed Trump's Mar-a-Lago case, exactly as predicted. No one should pretend to be shocked - no pearl clutching. This was so clearly the plan. Media, if you didn't see it, ask why you missed something so obvious. 1/
Ask how we got to this point, that obvious fuckery goes unchallenged. That media pre-comply instead of speaking truth to power. That editors don't let reporters dig. Authoritarians only succeed when institutions cede them power. We must fight back. 2/
This decision will affect the January 6 case too, everything that Jack Smith touched. Sure, it can be appealed - up to the Supreme Court that just granted Trump immunity. This was the game plan for months. Why was it not called out? Why did no one question Cannon's motives? 3/
An eyewitness report now suggests JD Vance will be Trump's VP pick. If so, reporters must give context: Vance is an avatar of Peter Thiel, who bankrolled his entire career (and spent $15M for his Senate seat). And Thiel wants the presidency. Vance is a way to get there. 1/
If people are unfamiliar with Peter Thiel, he's such a Bond villain that he gets his own theme song. German-born, he can't run for US president himself, but he owns 3 Senators: Vance, Hawley, and Cruz. Vance is now his ticket to a higher seat. 2/
Vance has been financially dependent on Peter Thiel since 2016, when Thiel made him a partner in his Mithril Capital. (Peter names all his companies after Lord of the Rings.) OH journalists covered this part of Vance's career. In 2019, Thiel set him up with Narya Capital. 3/
People are foolishly passing around a Tim Alberta article in which he follows Trump's campaign advisers around and repeats what they say verbatim in The Atlantic: Susie Wiles wants Biden in the race to help Trump! Tim: are you so naive you can't see when you're being used? 1/
How can it be a surprise to reporters that Trump lies, and so do his advisers? If someone gives you days of access, it's because you're useful. You aren't using them. They're using you. This message - "Biden is a gift" - is what Susie Wiles wanted you to print. It's a lie. 2/
Alberta's article is just shockingly naive. He says Trump wants Biden because the Trump campaign has had time to prep, so new attacks are "deliberated" and "poll-tested". Something new is coming when Trump has been attacking Biden and his family for 4 years without success? 2/