Thread by @JordanOnRecord

Next message appears to be Guy Reffitt recruiting people to the Texas Three Percenters' Continental Army group. He says he's the intel officer for the state's Three Percenters' chapter. Also says he's working on ways to circumvent 2nd Amendment restrictions.

Another Telegram message, this one from Guy Reffitt to fellow Three Percenter Roddy Hardie, who will testify later in the trial: "We took the Capital of the United States of America. And we will do it again."

Another message Nestler mentioned in his opening statements. Reffitt talks about being shot by Officer Shauni Kerkhoff with pepperballs and how it didn't stop him. Says all the pepper spray used against him "fired up the crowd" and they couldn't be stopped after that.

Guy Reffitt, to Rocky Hardie: "We all had weapons, but never fired a single round."

Reffitt's attorney, William Welch, said during his opening statements that Reffitt wasn't armed. Jury will have to consider that against photo evidence and Reffitt's own words.

More messages. One from another person in the Three Percenters chat criticizing Reffitt for going to the Capitol and getting them all declared "domestic terrorists."

Reffitt responded that he had "more heat than I will post here" but that they didn't shoot.

After January 6, Reffitt said he "won't be taken down again like in D.C." Said he had a riot shield and bear mace headed to his home.

Getting into convos now between Guy Reffitt and Texas Three Percenters lead Russ William Bowen.

Bowen writes that he's looking to add an intelligence officer to the group, wants someone who can investigate BLM and antifa. Bowen went by "Deadshot" in the Telegram chats.

Reffitt told Bowen the latter's security was top priority. Told him "all chats have been cleared and rebuilt" after Bowen was questioned by law enforcement following the Capitol riot.

Agent Shahrani now going through evidence recovered from Guy Reffitt's tablet. It includes a photo of a bruise on his abdomen (from pepperballs, presumably). Shahrani says the photograph appeared on the tablet on January 11, 2021.

DOJ now entering into evidence a 360 video from the helmet-mounted camera Guy Reffitt wore on January 6. DOJ says they've tried to stabilize the video to reduce potential motion sickness for viewers.

Jury hears FIRST AUDIO from Guy Reffitt himself.

"Alright Rocky, we gotta push forward buddy," he says.

A short time later, Reffitt can be heard saying, "I'm prepared to take this capital."

Laura Branigan's version of "Gloria" can be heard playing over a loud speaker.

"We're taking the Capitol after this, before the day is out," Guy Reffitt can be heard saying. "Dragging them out f***ing kicking and screaming."

"I didn't come here to play games. I'm taking the Capitol with everybody f***ing else," Reffitt says. "We're taking them out kicking and f***ing screaming. I just want to see Nancy Pelosi's head hitting every step on the way out."

Jurors are hearing Guy Reffitt's own voice, from his helmet-mounted camera, say over and over again that he intends to take the Capitol, that he wants to pull legislators out by their hair, that he wants to see Speaker Pelosi's head hit the steps.

"This is a war, this is the last day of war right here," Reffitt says.

"I'm packing heat, and I'm going to get more heat and I'm going into that f***ing building," Guy Reffitt says. "I'm f***ing done with these motherf***ers."

Reffitt can be heard saying he encouraged other Three Percenters to take the state capital in Texas and other states if the U.S. Capitol was taken on January 6.

Reffitt says "Maybury vs. Madison gives us the right to drag every f***ing one of them out of there."

*Marbury* vs. Madison was an 1803 SCOTUS decision establishing the concept of judicial review of the executive and legislative branches.

Another member of the crowd (at the Ellipse at this point) breaks into Reffitt's ongoing rant to ask him what his plan in 2024 is.

"To be alive," Reffitt says. "To wake up one more time on the right side of the dirt."

Another comment AUSA Nestler said was coming: Reffitt tells a member of the crowd he and "my guys" came with firearms. Says, "You're probably standing close to a million and a half guns right now."

DOJ introducing a recording of a Zoom call between Guy Reffitt and Texas Three Percenter Russ William Bowen. Reffitt talks about being hit with clay bullets and pepper spray. Equates his time in the oil fields with being in the military (which, as far as I can tell, he was not).

Reffitt repeats the line about Speaker Pelosi's head hitting the steps. He's now bragging about how he told people "get out of my damn way" so he could get up to the front of the crowd.

Reffitt, talking now about USCP Officer Shauni Kerkhoff, says he used a megaphone to tell her, "Stand aside or you're going to get tried for treason."

"I was almost close enough to dive for her and take the gun away from her when a man came around the corner with bear spray."

"I had to stop right there, but when everybody saw me get hit with bear spray, it was a full onslaught then," Reffitt says.

Reffitt said he was going to enter the building, but another rioter told him, "You did it. We took the Capitol."

"I'm not trying to be arrogant, but nobody was moving forward until I took that bannister," Reffitt says. "I just kept yelling, 'Go forward! Go forward! Take the House!'" He says after that, people started tearing apart the scaffolding.

"They're lucky we didn't shoot them," Guy Reffitt says. Talks about the gun he had, the gun fellow Texas Three Percenter Rocky Hardie had, and the .22-caliber rifle another person he met had.

Reffitt says Texas should have fallen when they took the Capitol. Says it would have been a "flare" for the country.

Reffitt keeps referring to "the republic of the people." Also calls the Capitol "the head of the demon."

"[Congress] had to finish their session they best they could," Guy Reffitt says. "And they tried. And we went in. We disrupted."

That's about as good an admission of guilt to the obstruction of an official proceeding charge as a prosecutor could hope for.

Welch starts cross examination. Asks Agent Shahrani some basic questions about how her team extracts data from devices. Then starts to ask, "Have you heard about a Deep Fake?" AUSA Nestler objects.

Wow, Judge Friedrich is going to allow the questioning about Deep Fakes. Agent Shahrani says she's familiar with them from her work in FBI child pornography investigations.

"When you examined those videos, did you have any reason to believe any of those images we saw were Deep Fakes?" William Welch asks.

Agent Shahrani says no.

"Were you checking for them?" he asks.

Shahrani says she checks for evidence of alterations and didn't find any.

Testimony will resume shortly after the lunch break. Hard to describe what the jury heard and saw this morning as anything but awful for Guy Reffitt. His own words, over and over again, describing his intention to take the Capitol and the .40-caliber gun he had on his hip.

Next witness is JACKSON REFFITT, the 19-year-old son of Guy Reffitt who sent a tip to the FBI about his father in December 2020. Jackson will testify that his father threatened him and his sister if they talked to police following the #CapitolRiot.

A victim's advocate will be in the front row while Jackson Reffitt testifies. He has been estranged from his family since he turned his father more than a year ago. In a recent Telegram message, Guy Reffitt referred to his son as a "lost soul." wusa9.com/article/news/n…

Jackson Reffitt has taken the stand.Wearing a black blazer and white dress shirt with long, wavy brown hair down past his shoulders. He's extremely quiet and difficult to hear. AUSA Risa Berkower is handling the questioning for Jackson.

"Do you know the defendant?" Berkower asks Jackson. He says yes. She asks how he knows him.

"He's my father."

Jackson identifies a photograph of the Reffitt family's home in Wylie, Texas, where he was still living on Jan. 6, 2021. Various shots of interior of home are entered as evidence.

The judge/prosecutors keep asking Jackson to lean toward the mic and speak up, but he's incredibly difficult to hear.

He says when the family returned from living abroad, his father Guy Reffitt seemed more distant. Guy began to lean further into right-wing politics.

Jackson says his father joined the Three Percenters, which he describes as a "far-right, extremist group."

AUSA Risa Berkower asks if his father ever described the Three Percenters as "constitutionalist" or talked about what that meant.

They've put a lapel mic on Jackson to try to make him audible. It... helps a little.

Berkower introduces photographs of a number of items of clothing belonging to Guy Reffitt. Jackson identifies them as Three Percenters clothing his father would wear. One shows the militia's logo. Another has a skull with a version of the Three Percenters logo with 3 bullets.

Berkower shows another shirt with the words, "When tyranny becomes law, rebellion becomes duty." Jackson says Guy Reffitt used similar words.

Jackson identifies a photograph of the back of his father's truck. Trump and Three Percenters' stickers are clearly visible. Berkower introduces a picture of his mother's SUV. It also has Three Percenters' stickers on the rear windshield.

Jackson says his father attended Three Percenters meetings once a month. His father hosted at least one meeting at their house, but Jackson wasn't allowed to be home for it.

Jackson says Guy Reffitt "constantly had his handgun on his hip." He identifies it as a Smith & Wesson. If it wasn't on his person, he was sleeping with it next to him on his nightstand, Jackson says. Berkower then introduces photos of the gun into evidence.

Jackson identifies the "silver top side" of the gun, which will be relevant later when the DOJ introduces a photo of a black holster on Guy Reffitt's hip on January 6 where silver is visible at the top.

Jackson identifies a photograph of Guy Reffitt's handgun on the nightstand near his bed, where it was found when FBI agents searched the home.

Jackson identifies photographs of his father's gun safe and AR-15 with mounted scope. Berkower asks him if his father owned a bullet proof vest. He says yes, he would wear it frequently.

Jackson says in August 2020 his father told him he was "going to do something big." Jackson says he was worried about what his father would do because of his recent involvement in the Three Percenters group.

Berkower now introducing texts from Guy Reffitt to the family's group chat. The first one begins: "When are you going to realize the Democrats are using race to keep minorities suppressed? We The People are willing to die to protect their safety..."

Another message reads: "Congress has made fatal mistakes this time. This isn't about Trump, it's much much bigger. This is about OUR country."

Jackson says he took his father literally when he said he was willing to die and Congress had made "fatal" mistakes.

Jackson says his father believed Congress had failed him and considered that tyranny.

"Hold my beer and I'll show you," Guy Reffitt wrote.

Jackson says at first, he thought his father was just being "a really big talker." In December, he texted him, "I thought I was going to see something in August."

Guy Reffitt responded: "Your first mistake was you thought."

Jackson reads a text: "I still hate mitch."

Who did he mean by that, Berkower asks? "Mitch McConnell," he says. He wrote that, he says, because he knew his father also didn't like them.

"His another politician. Why I'm going to DC. They all have to go," Reffitt responded.

"What's about to happen will shock the world," Guy Reffitt continued.

Jackson said he then tried to calm his father down because what he was saying was "not good."

Jackson: "I'm not really on board with the whole let's blow up the White House way of handling it."

Reffitt: "That's what we all want but the machine just keeps grinding us down. Too many lines have been crossed.... We are about to rise up the way the Constitution was written."

Reffitt continued: "Look up Maybury v. Madison 1803. Read it well and it will explain what's about to happen."

The texts continue. Jackson keeps saying he thinks voting is the "true power" and the way to change things.

His father responded "Another career politician?" and "Just another person grinding the machine."

Jackson said he grew increasingly nervous and paranoid about what his father might do, especially after his father texted him: "The entire house of legislation has committed unthinkable acts on our people. We have had enough. Time a new party."

At that point — this is Christmas Eve 2020 — Jackson Reffitt says his paranoia that his father Guy was going to do something bad boiled over, and so he submitted a tip to the FBI.

Jackson says he felt nervous and "gross" while he was searching for how to submit a tip to the FBI.

"Googling that, to report my father... saying that all out loud is pretty weird."

AUSA Berkower asks if Jackson felt guilty about sending the FBI a tip about his father.

"Of course," he says.

The messages from his father continued throughout the day, though. In one, Guy Reffitt talked about the "disgusting acts" of the legislative branch.

Jackson said he thought Congress needed to be rotated out, like his father said the president was.

"Exactly. Time to remove them. That's why I'm going to DC. Promise, I'm not alone," Guy Reffitt responded.

Jackson says he didn't hear back from the FBI about the tip he filed about his father until January 6. They contacted him that day, while his father was still in D.C.

Jackson says when he saw the message on Jan. 6 from his younger sister Peyton telling their father to be safe, he immediately went home. Found his mother and sisters watching the news of what was happening at the U.S. Capitol.

"I stood there in awe. Saddened. Scared."

AUSA Berkower asks Jackson what made him think his father was at the Capitol on January 6.

Welch repeatedly objects, but Judge Friedrich overrules.

Jackson says his father's messages and his mother's reaction made him think his dad was in D.C.

Welch is still trying to object, but Judge Friedrich overrules again.

Jackson says he was in the living room of the family home when he found out his father was in D.C.

Back to texts from Guy Reffitt.

One reads: "Me telling patriots to hold my beer and watch this."

Another: "We took the United States Capitol. We are the Republic of the People."

Guy Reffitt sent his family links to videos of him walking up the Capitol steps and being pepper sprayed by police. Jackson said he responded to the videos, "A hero."

"What did you mean by that?" AUSA Berkower asks.

"It was sarcasm," Jackson says dryly.

January 8, 2021: Jackson tells his father, "You know they are tracking down everyone who was there, right?"

Reffitt responded: "Yeppers."

"Isn't that ya know bad?" Jackson asked.

"Yep, don't care. I broke no laws," Reffitt said.

"I thought you overtook the united states capital?" Jackson wrote to his father. "And broke through police barricades."

"We did but I didn't break any laws. Told you not trust the news. They are lying," Reffitt responded. "Like I said before. 'Hold my beer, watch this.'"

Jurors saw the text alone before, but now they see that Guy Reffitt included photographs in which he had circled himself in screenshots climbing the Capitol steps on January 6. The text was: "Me telling Patriots to hold my beer and watch this."

Having trouble hearing him again, but Jackson says when his father returned home he had his .40-caliber S&W handgun on his hip and pulled his rifle case out of his car and then removed the AR-15 from it. Another man (fellow 3%er Rocky Hardie) was with him.

At about this point, Jackson starts recording the conversation in his family home. Berkower pulls up a picture of the house so he can identify where he was when he started.

Jackson says he felt "gross" and "pretty uncomfortable" about recording his father talking. He had been speaking louder and more confidently, but has gotten quieter again. Clearly still conflicted about his role in his father sitting in this courtroom today.

Jurors now hearing this recording Jackson made of his father, Guy Reffitt, in their home after the riot.

At the time of the recording, Reffitt was showing video from his helmet camera and narrating over it.

"I lit the fire," Reffitt says.

Reffitt's wife, Nicole, suggested Reffitt shouldn't be talking openly about his actions on Jan. 6. Reffitt responded that he was in the security of his own home.

"I was willing to die when I was there," Reffitt says. "I was willing to die."

Reffitt can be heard narrating: "And this is where I turned my camera back on before going on up to the insurrection, I guess I'll call it."

Court taking a 10-minute break.

First audio clip back from break is Guy Reffitt's wife, Nicole: "We have to have a moment of sadness because Dad didn't get a video of him storming the Capitol."

"I'm fine with it. I had a good time. I had a really epic point in my life," Guy Reffitt says. "I felt so patriotic and felt like an American... I felt so good."

"Honestly, the sixth, and the fun I had all day... I had a great time," Guy Reffitt can be heard saying. Says if he took off his clothes his family would see bruises "all up and down my leg."

"People were constantly coming up to me and saying, 'You're such a f***ing patriot! You lit the fire!'" Guy Reffitt says. "I went up there to take on the Capitol Police like nobody else was doing."

Jurors have heard Guy Reffitt describe himself as having "stormed the Capitol" multiple times now.

He says he told others "we have to move forward" and pushed people out of the way so he could get to the front and lead the charge.

Guy Reffitt now describing USCP Officer Shauni Kerkhoff, says he told her, "I'm not stopping!" Then she shot him with pepperballs but they didn't stop him.

"There was no reason for me to give up, because I had come so far to do what we needed to do," Reffitt says.

"I came here for a reason. I didn't drive 20 f***ing hours not to do what needed to be done," Guy Reffitt says. "There's bad people in there. They're disgusting people. And that's what antifa is crying and pissed off..."

Guy Reffitt tells his son in this recorded conversation that January 6 was "the preface of the book."

Berkower asks Jackson, "Did you hear your father say, 'This gun right here was loaded?'"

Jackson says he did. Took that as saying if he had to, he would have shot people.

"January 6 was already so bad. That that could just be the beginning, to hear my father say that, was scary. It was scary," Jackson says.

Guy Reffitt can be heard again saying he told Officer Kerkhoff if she didn't stand down she would be "tried for treason."

Jackson questions him on that, and Guy says, "That's treason to the people of the Republic. We own that."

Guy Reffitt also makes an off-hand remark about how he doesn't pay taxes, which I guess is maybe something for the IRS to look into.

"I wouldn't stop, and I won't stop ever," Guy Reffitt says.

Jackson, in the recording, pushes his father on going to D.C. for Trump. Guy Reffitt says it's not about Trump.

"He's still a figurehead. And you're still wearing his hat," Jackson says.

"I'm going to keep the hat! I like the hat," Guy replies.

"You carried a weapon onto federal grounds," Jackson says.

"Ok?" Guy responds. "What part of that is breaking the law? I carried a weapon onto federal grounds. That we own."

"You'll know that your father was there when an epic, historical thing happened in this country," Guy Reffitt says. "And guess what? I'm not done yet."

What did you understand him to mean by that, Berkower asks.

"That he was going to keep doing what he was doing," Jackson says.

Early in his testimony, Jackson described his father as a bragger, someone who talks big. But he says after January 6 he realized it wasn't just talk anymore. He was willing to do the things he said.

At some later point, Guy Reffitt starts talking to his kids about how the feds are probably watching him. Jackson says his father grew more and more upset.

During this convo, Guy tells Jackson and his sister Peyton, "If you turn me in, you'll be traitors. And traitors get shot."

Jackson said he was flabbergasted and upset by this comment. Said he and Peyton pushed back and said Guy Reffitt shouldn't threaten his children.

Later, Jackson said, Guy told Peyton, "You better not be recording this or I'll put a bullet in your phone." Says she gasped at that.

Jackson says he took that threat toward Peyton seriously.

"Of course. That's a violent action toward my little sister."

Jackson says his father seemed to be feeling more and more cornered.

On the same day of this threat, Jackson met with the FBI. He says he felt obligated to talk to them. He was also worried because he knew his father had a GPS tracker that could be attached to cars. He drove to his high school first and met with some friends, then to a restaurant.

Jackson said he told the FBI he was afraid his father Guy Reffitt was "snowballing" into more extreme activities. Also told them about the threat against him and his sister.

Five days after this meeting, the FBI arrested Guy Reffitt and searched their home. Jackson was at his girlfriend's house at the time. Says he didn't know the arrest was going to happen, came home immediately once he heard.

Shortly after Guy Reffitt's arrest, Jackson moved out. He hasn't had much contact with his family since.

How does that make you feel, Berkower asks?

"Sad. Surreal. It's been difficult," Jackson says. Says he talked to media because he thought it would help other families.

Jackson says he started a GoFundMe account because people were asking how they could support him. Has raised $158,000 from it. Used that money to pay for school and his apartment, dental care, other living expenses. Hasn't taken any vacations or bought new vehicles.

"Jackson, why did you submit a tip about your father to the FBI on Christmas Eve?" Berkower asks.

"Because I was scared," Jackson says.

"I don't really have words to describe it," Jackson says about being in court today after turning his father in. "I think this was the best-case scenario."

Berkower hands over the witness. Some question about whether William Welch actually would cross-examine, but he is.

"Isn't it true that your dad rants a lot?" Welch asks.

"Yes it is," Jackson says.

"On the day you made that recording, your dad had been drinking?" William Welch asks.

"Yes," Jackson says.

"How often do you see him drink?" Welch asks.

"Pretty much any time he's lounging," Jackson says. Says he's only seen him "very drunk" rarely.

"Does your dad take any medication?" Welch asks.

Jackson says his father takes Xanax for back pain/anxiety.

"Do you know if you're supposed to be drinking when you take Xanax?" Welch asks. Objection from DOJ.

Objection sustained apparently, because Welch moves on.

"Turning to January 11, 2021, do you know whether your dad had been drinking that day?" Welch asks.

Jackson can't remember.

Welch asks if he thought about asking his sister to leave the room during the threat convo.

"Of course," Jackson says.

"But you didn't?" Welch asks.

"No," Jackson says.

"How did they learn you had turned your dad in?" Welch asks.

From the CNN interview he did, Jackson said.

Welch: But you said you stayed home to comfort them! Did you think that was a good way to comfort them?

Jackson says that's why he left after the interview.

Welch describes the donations to Jackson as his "newfound GoFundMe fortune." Asks if he told his mom "it's GoFundMe, not GoFundUs?"

"That is not a direct quote," Jackson says. Says it comes from a Vice article, and his sister said it.

During questioning from Welch, Jackson says he learned to "pick my battles" when it came to political convos with his father, Guy Reffitt.

"If you learned your lesson, then why did you choose to continue that conversation on Jan. 11 when you knew he was upset?" Welch asks.

Were you concerned about your father's well-being at all, Welch asks?

Jackson says he was worried his father might have gone to a protest and done something, or a SWAT team might break into their home and his father might reach for a gun and get shot.

Jackson says his mother would tell him often about her paranoia re: Guy Reffitt.

Welch asks if they discussed whether his father might have a mental illness.

"My father is a *smart* guy," Jackson says, clearly inferring Welch is suggesting Reffitt didn't know what he was doing.

"You're not saying a smart person couldn't have a mental illness?" Welch asks.

"No, of course not," Jackson says.

Welch now asking why Jackson or his family never called 911 about Guy Reffitt. Jackson says that sends and immediate response, and there wasn't anything immediately urgent. Adds, "The cops weren't going to do anything.

"Did you give them the chance?" Welch asks. Objection.

Welch: "On Dec. 24, 2020, isn't it true that you submitted a tip to the FBI after having an argument with your dad?"

Jackson: "I wouldn't call it an argument."

Welch: Isn't it true you told the FBI agent that?

Jackson: I did.

Welch passes witness.

Berkower, on cross, drawing distinction between the protests Jackson participated in and 1/6:

"Have you ever worn body armor to a protest? Have you ever worn a helmet to a protest? Have you ever brought a firearm to a protest? Have you ever brought flex cuffs to a protest?"

Berkower: How old are you?

Jackson: 19.

Berkower: And how old is your dad?

Jackson: Almost 50.

No further questions. Witness excused for the day.

Court done for the day. Coming up tomorrow are the FBI agents who worked on the case, a former counsel to the Secretary of the Senate and Rocky Hardie, the fellow Three Percenter who will testify against Guy Reffitt.

Per pool reporter @RobLegare who was in the courtroom today, Guy Reffitt became emotional when his son, Jackson, took the stand. Sketch artist Bill Hennessy Jr. captured the moment.

Jackson Reffitt testified for more than three hours today about his father's growing extremism through association w/ the Three Percenters, his worries about what he might do and then the threats he says Guy Reffitt made against him and his younger sister.

A truly incredible day of testimony. It began with Guy Reffitt's own words, recorded on a helmet-mounted camera and on a Zoom call w/ another Three Percenter, and ended w/ his son, Jackson, taking the stand for 3 hours. wusa9.com/article/news/n…