Tag: domestic terrorists

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Buffalo Grocery Store Shooter Pleads Guilty

Payton Gendron pleaded guilty to state charges relating to the deadly mass shooting in Buffalo in a predominantly Black neighborhood
Payton Gendron (screen capture via CBS News)
Payton Gendron, the white 19-year-old who drove over 200 miles to carry out a deadly mass shooting at a Buffalo grocery store in a predominantly Black neighborhood, pleaded guilty today to state charges including one count of domestic terrorism motivated by hate. Eleven of the 13 people he shot that day were Black. Continue reading “Buffalo Grocery Store Shooter Pleads Guilty”

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Police Officers Testify Before House Committee On Jan 6 Insurrection

Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn testifies before the select House committee investigating the January 6 insurrection

The first day of testimony before the House select committee investigating the January 6 insurrection featured four police officers who shared in devastating detail the verbal and physical assaults they experienced that day at the U.S. Capitol building. Continue reading “Police Officers Testify Before House Committee On Jan 6 Insurrection”

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Trump To Cultists: ‘We Love You, You’re Very Special’

Donald Trump tells his cultists to go home while repeating lies about his reelection loss After hours of violent insurrection by mobs of MAGA cultists, Donald Trump asked his cultists who violently breached the U.S. Capitol to go home while still pushing his baseless claims of election fraud.

I know your pain. I know you’re hurt. We had an election that was stolen from us. It was a landslide election. And everyone knows it. Especially the other side.

But you have to go home now. We have to have peace. We have to have law and order. We have to respect our great people in law and order. We don’t want anybody hurt.

It’s a very tough period of time. There’s never been a time like this, where such a thing happened, where they could take it away from all of us. From me, from you, from our country. This was a fraudulent election. But we can’t play into the hands of these people. We have to have peace.

So go home. We love you. You’re very special. You’ve seen what happens. You see the way others are treated that are so bad and so evil. I know how you feel. But go home and go home in peace.

As you can see, Twitter tagged the video for its “disputed claim of voter fraud.”

Prior to Trump’s video, President-elect Joe Biden issued his own message calling on Trump to call off the domestic terrorists. “I call on President Trump to go on national television now to fulfill his oath and defend the Constitution and demand an end to this siege,” Mr. Biden said from Wilmington, Delaware. Biden urged the insurrectionists to end what was effectively an armed occupation of the Capitol. Biden also called out Trump for not speaking out against the violence. “At their best, the words of a president can inspire. At their worst, they can incite,” said Biden. “This is not dissent. It’s disorder. It’s chaos. It borders on sedition, and it must end now. I call on this mob to pull back and allow the work of democracy to go forward.”

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Congress Under Lockdown As Trump Cultists Storm The Capitol

Screen capture via CNN

Screen capture via CNN
(screen capture via CNN)
Several news outlets are reporting that Vice President Mike Pence has been evacuated from the Senate Chamber as Trump cultists have breached security barricades outside the Capitol. According to reports, there is an armed standoff at the door to the House floor. From the New York Times:

The Capitol building was placed on lockdown, with senators and members of the House locked inside their chambers, as Congress began debating President-elect Joe Biden’s victory. President Trump addressed supporters near the White House before protesters marched to Capitol Hill.

Chaos engulfed the Capitol on Wednesday as a faction of Republicans sought to overturn President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s victory in Congress and a group of protesters loyal to President Trump tried to storm the building, demanding to be heard.

Around 2:15 p.m., the proceedings ground to a halt as security rushed Vice President Mike Pence out of the Senate chamber and the Capitol building was placed on lockdown, with senators and members of the House locked inside their chambers.

The extraordinary day in Washington laid bare deep divisions both between the two parties and within Republican ranks, the ceremonial counting of electoral votes that unfolds every four years in Congress was transformed into an explosive spectacle, with President Trump stoking the unrest.

 

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Terror Charges For Woman Who ‘Intentionally’ Coughed On $35K Worth Of Groceries

(image via Facebook)
A woman in Pennsylvania entered a Gerrity’s Supermarket on Wednesday afternoon this week and proceeded to intentionally cough on fresh produce, a small section of the bakery, meat case and grocery items, alleges the store’s co-owner Joe Fasula. Writing on the store chain’s Facebook page, Fasula says the woman is known “to be a chronic problem in the community.” “While there is little doubt this woman was doing it as a very twisted prank, we will not take any chances with the health and well-being of our customers,” writes Fasula. “We had no choice but to throw out all of the products she came in contact with. Working closely with the Hanover Township health inspector, we identified every area that she was in, we disposed of the product and thoroughly cleaned and disinfected everything.” Fasula adds, “Although we have not yet quantified the total loss, we estimate the value to be well over $35,000.” “The only silver lining to this travesty is that it gave us the unfortunate opportunity to test our protocols and demonstrate how seriously we take your safety,” said Fasula in closing. “At one point, we had over 15 employees involved in the disposal and clean up.” The Hill is now reporting the woman has been charged for making terrorist threats via her coughing stunt.

Margaret Cirko, 35, allegedly “intentionally contaminated” grocery items by coughing and spitting on them, claiming to be sick while attempting to steal a pack of beer, according to the Hanover Township Police Department.

The incident resulted in the store disposing of $35,000 worth of produce, meat, and other essential items. Cirko was sent to a mental health hospital to be evaluated after her arrest.

Cirko was charged with two felony counts of terroristic threats using a biological agent, one count of criminal mischief, and misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct and attempted retail theft.

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Neo-Nazi Pleads Guilty To Planning To Bomb Las Vegas Gay Bar

Conor Climo (screen capture)
A Las Vegas man pleaded guilty Monday to a federal weapons charge after plotting violent attacks on an LGBTQ bar, a synagogue, and the Anti-Defamation League. Conor Climo, 24, signed the plea agreement that was filed in January in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports the agreement reads, in part, “Defendant stated that he wanted to do more against the groups he hated by carrying out violent attacks against them.” “Defendant admitted to discussing plans for violent attacks online against the Anti-Defamation League, a local Las Vegas synagogue, and a local bar,” continued the document. In the agreement, Climo admitted the unnamed bar catered to an LGBTQ clientele. Climo was arrested in August last year after being monitored communicating via encrypted internet chat with individuals identified as white supremacists. He reportedly told an undercover FBI informant he was “scouting places to attack.” In his communications with the undercover agent, Climo sent a satellite image of the synagogue he planned to target which highlighted a possible escape route. Climo also used homophobic language and spoke about surveilling an LGBTQ bar in downtown Vegas in the encrypted chats. When the investigators arrived at Climo’s home with a search warrant, they found “hand-drawn schematics and component parts of a destructive device” which included oxidizing agents, flammable liquids and circuit boards. An AR-15 assault-style weapon and a bolt-action rifle were also confiscated during the search, according to NBC LA. He was charged with possessing an unregistered firearm in the form of the component parts of a destructive device. A statement from the U.S. attorney’s office said, “Climo would regularly use derogatory racial, anti-Semitic and homosexual slurs.” Appearing in court wearing a yellow jail jumpsuit on Monday, the Review-Journal writes, “Climo stood with closed fists at a podium, mostly answering ‘yes, your honor’ and ‘no, your honor,’ to a series of standard questions.” As I reported in August, Climo made headlines in 2016 for ‘patrolling’ his neighborhood wearing battle gear and carrying an assault-style rifle and survival knife. At the time, he told local ABC News affiliate KTNV, “I’ll pretty much stay within constitutional bounds when I’m doing this.” ‘Pretty much stay within constitutional bounds???’ He also told the reporter he would be looking for ‘suspicious activity,’ which he defined as “people outside when they’re not supposed to be.” In the interview, Climo admitted he had no formal training in patrolling, policing, or dealing with possibly tense situations. CNN reports Climo will return to court on May 14 where he faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. According to the plea deal, he will also be required to undergo mental health treatment and be monitored via an electronic device upon his release from prison. Climo’s story is especially chilling as Las Vegas was the site of the nation’s deadliest mass shooting in modern US history, when 58 people were killed and more than 500 hurt in October 2017. Here’s the 2016 report from KTNV:

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Most Domestic Terrorism Threats Are Tied To White Supremacists

During testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee today, FBI Director Christopher Wray said the majority of domestic terrorism arrests have been tied to white supremacy.
FBI Director Christopher Wray

During testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee today, FBI Director Christopher Wray said the majority of domestic terrorism arrests have been tied to white supremacy.

From The Hill:

”I will say that a majority of the domestic terrorism cases that we’ve investigated are motivated by some version of what you might call white supremacist violence, but it does include other things as well,” Wray said at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, referring to cases in fiscal 2019, which began Oct. 1.

The FBI is “aggressively” investigating domestic terrorism and hate crimes, Wray said, noting that the bureau is focused on investigating the violence, not the ideology motivating the attacks.

Wray distinguished between what he termed homegrown violent extremism, wording he said the FBI uses to refer to people in United States who are inspired by global jihadists, and domestic extremism, which Wray described as broader to include racially motivated extremists, anarchists and others.

The number of domestic terrorism arrests are on par with the amount international terrorism cases, according to Wray.

“In terms of number of arrests, we have through the third quarter of this fiscal year had about give or take 100 arrests on the international terrorism side, which includes the homegrown violent extremism,” Wray told Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) at the hearing. “We’ve also had just about the same number — again, don’t quote me to the exact digit — on the domestic terrorism side.”

Wray also testified that Russian operatives are still trying to interfere with our elections.

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Podcast: Tax Cuts For Married Couples, Wealthy Athlete Looks To Fans To Pay Legal Bills, New Inductee On Hollywood Walk Of Fame

In this week's podcast: • White House hopeful Elizabeth Warren has proposed allowing same-sex married couples be allowed to file amended tax returns for refunds • A Texas couple found a touching note on their porch during Pride Month • Terrorist threats at St. Louis Pride • A wealthy Australian rugby player, stripped of his contract for homophobic social media, wants fans to pay his legal bills • Pose star Billy Porter is getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame All that and more on this episode of The Randy Report

In this week’s podcast:

• White House hopeful Elizabeth Warren has proposed allowing same-sex married couples be allowed to file amended tax returns for refunds

• A Texas couple found a touching note on their porch during Pride Month

• Terrorist threats at St. Louis Pride

• A wealthy Australian rugby player, stripped of his contract for homophobic social media, wants fans to pay his legal bills

• Pose star Billy Porter is getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

All that and more on this episode of The Randy Report

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White House Still Silent On ‘Domestic Terrorist’ Paul Hasson

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters today that Trump is "typically one of the first" to condemn stories like Hasson's.
Sarah Huckabee Sanders

From The New York Times:

A Coast Guard lieutenant and self-described white nationalist who was arrested in Maryland last week was plotting to kill a long list of prominent journalists and Democratic politicians, as well as professors, judges and what he called “leftists in general,” federal prosecutors said in a court filing on Tuesday.

Lt. Christopher Paul Hasson, 49, was arrested Friday on gun and drug charges, but prosecutors said in the filing that those charges were just the “proverbial tip of the iceberg.”

The filing argued that Lieutenant Hasson should be held until he is tried, describing him as a “domestic terrorist” who intended “to murder innocent civilians on a scale rarely seen in this country.”

In the last month, prosecutors said, the lieutenant used his work computer to draw up a list of prominent figures he called “traitors” and wanted to kill, including many well-known anchors and hosts on the CNN and MSNBC news networks and a number of Democratic elected officials. The list included, among others, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Maxine Waters, Senator Richard Blumenthal, whom he referred to as “Sen blumen jew,” and many of the senators running for president in 2020.

While Donald Trump was quick to comment on the charges against Empire star Jussie Smollett, he has yet to comment on Hasson.

Is that because Hasson was plotting against Trump’s political foes? Or because he’s a supporter of the Donald?

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters today that Trump is “typically one of the first” to condemn stories like Hasson’s.

“The president hasn’t at any point has done anything but condemn violence, against journalists or anyone else. In fact, every single time something like this happens, the president is typically one of the first people to condemn the violence and the media is the first people to condemn the president.”

And yet, days after this news broke, he hasn’t.