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Capitol Riot Charges Roil Far-Right Groups

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Capitol Riot Charges Roil Far-Right Groups A10 | THURSDAY, JUNE 3, 2021 NEWS CASPER STAR-TRIBUNE Capitol riot charges WH team pursues ‘politics is personal’ strategy roil far-right groups ALEXANDRA JAFFE AND JOSH BOAK MICHAEL KUNZELMAN AND Associated Press ALANNA DURKIN RICHER WASHINGTON — The Associated Press calls can come late in the Former President Donald day, over the weekend, Trump’s lies about a stolen really any time a question 2020 election united right- pops into the mind of a leg- wing supporters, conspir- islator or aide. The meet- acy theorists and militants ings may dispense pleas- on Jan. 6, but the aftermath antries from Team Biden of the insurrection is roil- — or get testy. The topic ing two of the most prom- can be one arcane fact or a inent far-right extremist deep dive into the nuances groups at the U.S. Capitol of policy. SETH WENIG, ASSOCIATED PRESS that day. While President Joe More than three dozen Biden pitches his infra- Traffic moves over the George Washington Bridge as seen members and associates NOAH BERGER, ASSOCIATED PRESS structure plan to the Amer- from Fort Lee, N.J. While President Joe Biden pitches his infrastructure plan to the American public, the real work across both the Proud Boys Proud Boys chairman Enrique Tarrio rallies in Portland, Ore., ican public with events and the Oath Keepers have at an Ohio college, a Ford of delivering his legislative agenda takes place behind the on Aug. 17, 2019. Outside pressures and internal strife are scenes. been charged with crimes. roiling two far-right extremist groups after members were plant in Michigan or an Some local chapters cut charged in the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. aging Louisiana bridge, ties with national leader- this is where the real work private meetings to back a ships with a number of ship in the weeks after the charged so far. Prosecutors members. of delivering his legisla- much smaller counteroffer. members of the team — he deadly siege. The Proud have narrowed in on the Meanwhile, 16 members tive agenda takes place: in “It went poorly,” Repub- said he tried to hire Ter- Boys’ chairman called for a two extremist groups as and associates of the Oath phone calls to Capitol Hill, lican Sen. Roger Wicker rell once and used to play pause in the rallies that of- they try to determine how Keepers — a militia group over Zoom meetings and of Mississippi said of one basketball with Biden aide ten have led to clashes with much planning went into founded in 2009 that re- during the occasional cup meeting with Biden’s leg- Steve Ricchetti. anti-fascist activists. And the attack, but authorities cruits current and former of coffee with members of islative team, “because it Terrell worked as Biden’s one Oath Keeper has agreed have said they’re intent on military, police and first his legislative affairs team. didn’t have any relation to deputy chief of staff in the to cooperate against others arresting anyone involved. responders — have been Biden’s legislative team the meeting we had with Senate and as a special as- charged in the riot. The Proud Boys, a charged with conspiring of 15 is charged with ma- the chief executive of the sistant to President Barack Some extremism experts self-described “West- to block the certification neuvering and mapping land.” Obama for legislative af- see parallels between the ern chauvinist” group, of the vote. The group’s out the process of actually The outcome seemed to fairs, and two of her dep- fallout from the Capitol emerged from far-right founder and leader, Stew- getting his agenda passed further dampen prospects uties — Reema Dodin and riot and the schisms that fringes during the Trump art Rhodes, has said the on Capitol Hill. Led by for a bipartisan agreement Shuwanza Goff — had long divided far-right figures administration to main- Oath Keepers had as many Louisa Terrell, a Capitol on the bill. And the outlook careers with Democratic and groups after their vi- stream GOP circles, with as 40,000 members at Hill veteran, the team has didn’t seem to improve leaders on Capitol Hill. olent clashes with count- allies like longtime Trump its peak, but one extrem- had a vast footprint over heading into the holiday In an interview, Terrell er-protesters at the “Unite backer Roger Stone. The ism expert estimates the the course of Biden’s first weekend despite a flurry of said those relationships the Right” white nation- group claims it has more group’s membership stands months in office, hold- offers and counteroffers. have helped finesse the alist rally in Charlottes- than 30,000 members na- around 3,000 nationally. ing over 553 phone calls or Biden’s decades of expe- sometimes difficult task of ville, Virginia, in August tionwide. Rhodes has not been meetings with lawmakers, rience as a senator and vice bringing a skeptical law- 2017. The white suprema- Chairman Henry “En- charged, and it’s unclear their chiefs of staff and president make him well maker along, because when cist “alt-right” movement rique” Tarrio hasn’t been if he will be. But he has re- staff directors focused on suited to steer negotiations a member of the team has fractured and ultimately charged in the riot. He peatedly come up in court the American Jobs Plan with Capitol Hill, but also to “give extra love and at- faded from public view wasn’t there on Jan. 6. documents as “Person alone, Biden’s infrastruc- leave him keenly aware of tention” to a lawmaker, “it’s after the violence erupted He’d been arrested in an One,” suggesting he’s a ture package, as of May 21. the limitations that come not coming out of left field.” that weekend. unrelated vandalism case central focus of investiga- Their work on the mas- with narrow Democratic “It’s really coming from “I think something kind as he arrived in Washing- tors. sive coronavirus relief bill majorities in the House and a place of someone who of like that is happening ton two days before the in- On Jan. 6, several Oath that passed in March helped Senate. knows them or has been right now in the broader surrection and was ordered Keepers, wearing helmets Biden keep both progres- Overall, though, the at- around and has a reputa- far-right movement, where out of the area by a judge. and reinforced vests, were sives and moderates on tentiveness of his legisla- tion of credibility and au- the cohesive tissue that Law enforcement later said seen on camera shoulder- board, with no defections tive team has won plaudits thenticity,” she said. brought them all together Tarrio was picked up in part ing their way up the Capi- and few public complaints. from lawmakers. The active engagement — being the 2020 election to help quell potential vio- tol steps in a military-style They’re facing much big- Virginia Democratic with lawmakers comes — it’s kind of dissolved,” lence. stack formation. Rhodes ger hurdles now trying to Sen. Mark Warner, who from an ethos set by the said Jared Holt, a resi- Tarrio insists the crimi- was communicating on usher Biden’s infrastruc- calls himself a “fairly tough president himself, who dent fellow at the Atlantic nal charges haven’t weak- Jan. 6 with some who en- ture bill through Congress, taskmaster” on legislative spent nearly four decades Council’s Digital Forensic ened or divided the group. tered the Capitol and was with lots of other diffi- discussions, says he’s had in the Senate. Terrell said Research Lab. He says he has met with seen standing with several cult issues stacked up in numerous late-night and the president has advised But others believe Presi- leaders of chapters that de- of the defendants outside the queue behind it. Just weekend calls with the the team to follow his own dent Joe Biden’s victory and clared their independence the building after the riot, recently, the legislative team about various bills. personal philosophy that the Jan. 6 investigation, the and patched up their dif- prosecutors say. team, which tries to keep “I’m a fairly intense “politics is personal” and largest federal prosecution ferences. Rhodes has sought to a low profile, got caught in member, so I want more “you have to make invest- in history, might animate “We’ve been through distance himself from those the negotiating crossfire as than talking points,” he ments in building a real re- the militia movement — the wringer,” Tarrio said in who’ve been arrested, in- Republicans accused White said. lationship — you don’t just fueled by an anti-govern- an interview. “Any other sisting the members went House aides of contradict- Warner took note of his call people when you need ment anger. group after January 6th rogue and there was never ing Biden’s commitment in long-standing relation- them.” “We’re already seeing a would fall apart.” a plan to enter the Capitol. lot of this rhetoric being But leaders of several lo- Messages left at numbers spewed in an effort to pull cal Proud Boys chapters, listed for Rhodes weren’t PUBLIC NOTICE OF PROPOSED REMEDY in people,” said Freddy including in Seattle, Las immediately returned. UNDER THE VOLUNTARY REMEDIATION PROGRAM (VRP) Cruz, a Southern Poverty Vegas, Indiana and Ala- After the riot, the North Law Center research ana- bama, said after Jan. 6 that Carolina Oath Keepers lyst who studies anti-gov- their members were cutting branch said it was split- Pursuant to W.S. 35-11-1604, notice is hereby given that BNSF Railway ernment groups.
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