Monthly Archives: September 2021

Fi Doung wearing Japanese-style face mask

A Virginia man who allegedly wore a Japanese-style face maskand all black clothes to pose as an anti-fascist activist on Jan. 6 pleaded not guilty on Friday to a five-count federal indictment related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol.

First charged in July, Fi Duong allegedly described himself as a militia man who had coordinated additional surveillance efforts on Congress in the months after the riot, prosecutors claim.

On Aug. 25, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging himunder his real name and his aliases Jim, Monkey and Monkey Kingwith obstructing an official proceeding, entering and remaining on restricted grounds, disorderly conduct in a restricted building, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building and parading in a Capitol building.

Those charges focus on his alleged participation in the siege of the U.S. Capitol.

While on the West Terrace, Duong is surrounded by other protestors yelling comments such as Everybody inside, Stop the steal, Fight for Trump, and Traitor,' an FBI affidavit supporting his charges states.

That affidavit contains allegations about conduct following the Jan. 6 siege for which Duong has not been formally charged, including what prosecutors describe as his interest in Molotov cocktails, affinity for militia groups and coordination of surveillance of the Capitol.

The recipe that I have. This is just from my own study and from looking at sources that I will not yet name, Duong allegedly told an undercover FBI operative in May, supposedly referring to the homemade incendiary devices. But again, this is all just in theory. I have not tested any of this out.

Prosecutors do not accuse Duong of any violent acts or actually using the weapons, but the FBIs affidavit quotes him speaking in favor of political violence and preparing for what he called the second American Civil War.

Duong also opined that he likes to be connected to militias in the area and know which groups are organized and that it is important for the groups to stay nice and tightif you know what I mean,' according to the FBIs affidavit.

Authorities claim that Duong claimed to have a contact among the Three Percenters, a group whose name comes from the myth that it represents the portion of colonists who participated in the American Revolution. Historians have debunked that dubious statistic.

After President Joe Biden nominated David Chipman to lead the Justice Departments Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Duong allegedly told the FBI operative that his property could turn into Waco 2.0, apparently referring to the 1993 standoff of the Branch Davidian compound with cult leader David Koresh, according to court papers.

According to the New York Times, Duongs attorney Sabrina Shroff argued in a past hearing that the government sought to entrap her client, who was previously released on bond pending trial. The terms of his release called for high intensity supervision.

You are restricted to 24-hour-a-day lock-down at your residence except for medical necessities and court appearances or other activities specifically approved by the court, the conditions of Duongs release state, under the heading Home Incarceration.

She reportedly said at the time that the government had produced no evidence that his talk of bombs went beyond chatter.

Her clients indictment does not charge him with weapons offenses.

According to the complaint, Duong on Jan. 13 told the undercover agent that he was filming rioters inside the Capitol while wearing all black in an effort to look like a member of Antifa, referring to an amorphous collection of anti-fascist activists.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stuart Allen said he started providing substantial discovery to the defense on Friday morning.

U.S. Judge Paul L. Friedman scheduled the next hearing for Dec. 7 at 1 p.m. Eastern Time.

Jerry Lambe contributed reporting for this story.

(Image via FBI affidavit)

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Man Who Allegedly Joined Fight for Trump Crowd and Wore All Black to Pose as Antifa Pleads Not Guilty in Jan. 6 Case - Law & Crime

ANALYSIS/OPINION:

When in doubt, turn to Lincoln. A house divided against itself cannot stand, he told the Illinois Republican State Convention in 1858. It was considered radical and politically incorrect, but it still has the virtue of being true. Todays Republicans should take note.With poll numbers trending their way as Americans watch a weak Biden presidency unfold, Republicans must resist the temptation to tear at each other.

The damaging effect of party divisions can be devastating. An analysis of the Georgia runoff elections, for instance, showed that while Democrats were pushing new voters to the polls, there was a drop-off of an estimated 200,000 voters in Republican areas, which helped hand the race to Leftist Senator Raphael Warnock and the Senate majority Bernie Sanders.

Recently, many Republicans with prominent platforms again played into the hands of left-wing media and the Democrats by attacking President George W. Bush for two lines in his 9/11 anniversary remarks. Mr. Bushs comments gave conservatives a prime opportunity to talk about Antifa, BLM Marxists, those who torched Americas cities in 2020, and the Leftist cancel culture that seeks to rewrite our nations history.

Instead, Republicans decided to bash the 43rd President injecting the January 6th riot into the news cycle. You would expect that from the New York Times or CNN, not from conservatives.

Every time Republicans attack each other, it cuts against the party unity necessary to beat the Left. What was so curious and caustic about this recent circular firing squad was that it was a totally unforced error.

Approximately 70 percent of Republican voters in a Morning Consult poll from the summer disagreed with the statement, The people who broke into the U.S. Capitol on January 6 are representative of the Republican Party. Recent polling data has shown that a solid majority of Americans also appreciate that the January 6th committee investigation is biased toward Democrats.

Extremists on the far-right like white supremacist groups are small, poorly-funded fringe players in our nations politics with no credible platform for their views. Denying they exist, however, doesnt pass the smell test.

On the other hand, Leftist activists count on Big Tech, Big Media, Big Government, academia, and the leaders of the Democrat Party among their supporters. Thats where the GOP should focus their political fire.

Of course, January 6th wasnt 9/11. Nor was it Pearl Harbor or an insurrection. Americans understand that, and so does George W. Bush. Mr. Bush, for his part, understands that real conservatives embrace pluralism, individual liberty, and constitutional freedoms. To suggest otherwise is nonsense.

January 6th rioters have been treated in some respects much worse than Antifa and BLM terrorists. That should certainly justify some outrage.

But there is a common principle of effective communication. If youre explaining, youre losing. Republicans have tied themselves in knots trying to explain away or even defend January 6th for nine months. In their criticism of Mr. Bushs comments, they played into Democrats continued efforts to weaponize the travesty of that day to paint the party as extreme.

You cant defend the indefensible. Trump supporters, Republicans, and Conservatives shouldnt try.

Indeed, there are conservatives in name only who should be called out for squishy principles or lack of political courage. However, Republicans should be wary of any one group or person within what used to be called the big tent party, appointing themselves the arbiter of who is and who isnt a real Republican.

Intra-party Inquisitions, vanity politics, vicious social media campaigns, personal vendettas, and nasty labels should be consistently resisted.

Pro-freedom Americans are in a battle for the soul of this nation. Republicans need to keep their eye on the ball. Party divisions depress turnout and push voters to the other side. Republicans cant carry the mantle of American freedom and unity against the Left without exemplifying it themselves.

Tom Basile, host of Newsmax Televisions America Right Now, is an author and adjunct professor at Fordham Universitys Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, where he teaches earned media strategy.

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Republican divides boost the left - Washington Times

Pat Cole

By Pat Cole

It certainly has gotten nasty with the bizarre and violent protests weve been getting in Olympia, not only last week but for a while now. To be clear, Im not referring to Black Lives Matter or any one of a number of peaceful political protests with a clearly defined purpose and message that we get in our capital city.

Protesting in itself is a patriotic activity. The right to gather non-violently for sending a message to our politicians and other citizens is protected in the very first amendment to the U.S. Constitution in the Bill of Rights. Heres what it says (my emphasis):

Congress shall makeno law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Though we may not like the message we cant dispute the right to gather and send that message as long as its peaceful and non-violent.

In case you missed it, on Sat., Sept. 4, armed groups identifying as Proud Boys and Antifa showed up in downtown Olympia. They shouted obscenities, intimidated shoppers and visitors and damaged property. Other right-wing activists have pledged to reassemble in Olympia and Washington, DC this Saturday.

Seems we now have two groups of intense and violent activists from the political extremes facing off with no apparent political agenda except to cause trouble. That seems clear by just looking at how they are dressed and the weapons they carry. After watching some videos that were available about the recent events, plus seeing what the few representatives, or at least people familiar with the groups, were saying, its clear that neither group has a good grasp on what peaceful political protest is about. Nor do they seem to perceive, or maybe care, what a negative effect they are actually having on the rest of us.

They dont seem to understand how to get a political message sent in a way that anyone can understand it. Then again, that might not be their intent. A question to ask ourselves when we want to make a public stand on an issue, either by protesting, publicly speaking, writing, or privately communicating is Are we trying to get something done, or are we trying to make ourselves feel better? That question can be used to guide our behavior, moderate our language, and change our approach to a situation. Thats not a bad question to consider in any kind of negotiation or conflict; it can guide us to a more favorable outcome. What we are seeing are people behaving poorly, clearly more interested in themselves than actually trying to accomplish anything.

What are the political goals?

Im wondering if anyone can actually tell what the political goals of either of these groups are? They both came armed, spoiling for a fight. Im sure they are convinced of the righteousness of their actions and rationalize their behaviors.

Its understandable why the political left, those that believe in programs like new forms of public safety funding, progressive taxation, universal health care, dont like the Proud Boys and what they represent. But they equally dislike the behavior by the Antifa (or Anarchists or whatever flavor-of-the-month group they are) because of the harm they do to how people perceive what progressives believe in and who they are. They undermine efforts to have reasonable discussions or advance political goals, some of which they may even share. Politics are hard enough for both sides without having these clowns get in the way.

What these people dont seem to comprehend is that they are harming their own cause rather than helping it. Not only do they leave the rest of us angry and resentful, but we are left with shallow and inaccurate stereotypes of those on the opposite side of the political spectrum. The reality is that most folks on the political right are not racist, violent, ignorant bigots any more than those of us on the left are unpatriotic, violent moochers who hate America. Sadly, thats often what makes the news. We are better than that. Our beliefs have more depth, are complex and shouldnt be reduced to sound bites or left to those who embody a loud but unrepresentative minority.

The behavior of these groups also puts the police in a precarious position. How they draw the line allowing peaceful protest while dealing with violent groups is fraught with risk. Most likely some of us will be pleased with their actions and some of us will be angry. This is another example of the challenges facing our public safety system. The tone coming from Chief Jelcick in his public statement was clear yet restrained, something we can all appreciate. Ideally this will send a significant enough message to those who would re-create the conflicts we had on September 4.

I dont personally know anyone in either of these camps causing the trouble. Maybe you do? Im asking that if you do, please ask them to stop. This kind of behavior, from yelling obscenities at the top of their lungs to breaking windows and tagging buildings only makes things worse and more hostile while doing nothing to address any of the many real problems and challenges that we face. We have to do what we can to stop this community-destroying behavior. Hopefully there is a way for the more level-headed among us to reach out and stop this damaging behavior before it escalates into something worse.

Pat Cole -pcbiglife@gmail.com- is a former member of Olympia's city council. As a private citizen, he seeks to set a positive tone and lead informed discussion about local civic issues.

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Trying to get something done or just please themselves? - The Jolt News

We are aware of reports that members of the Proud Boys group are expected to take part in demonstrations in our community this weekend. The Olympia Police Department (OPD) is monitoring two Saturday, September 18, events.

At Noon, a rally is planned on the Capitol Campus, which we believe is associated with vaccine mandates. At 2 p.m. a gathering is planned in front of Olympia City Hall in response to the shooting on September 4 at the Intercity Transit Center, when members of the Proud Boys and a group allied with Antifa engaged in a violent confrontation with each other.

OPD is bringing on extra staff and actively making preparations for managing any potential conflict that might arise during these demonstrations. OPD is also working with our regional law enforcement partners in our planning.We thank them for their help and support.OPD has attempted to open lines of communication with each of the groups to ask them to avoid our City and avoid each other on Saturday. While we cannot prevent people from groups like these from coming to our city, OPD will do everything they can to address as quickly as possible any illegal acts and violent behaviors that may happen and to try to keep opposing groups separated from each other.

As the Capital City, we have a particular duty to support the rights of individuals to peacefully gather and exercise their first amendment rights. However, OPD must balance protecting all peoples constitutional rights with the need to protect the safety of our community.And in doing so, OPD will follow its Guiding Principles for Demonstrations and Crowd Control.

We share the communitys shock and anger at the violence that happened here on September 4. None of us want this type of behavior in our community.We are taking the lessons learned from that weekend to inform our practices and processes for this weekend in an effort to ensure an effective strategy to address any safety issues.

We continue to ask the communitys help in our ongoing investigation of the shooting and reported assaults from September 4. We also continue to gather any information about the planned events on September 18. If you have information, please can Police Dispatch at 360-704-2740 or crime stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

The above was provided by the City of Olympia.

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City of Olympia message on Planned Events on September 18 - The Jolt News