Far-right activist Ammon Bundy speaks in front of the Ada county courthouse in downtown Boise, Idaho, in April 2021. Photograph: Darin Oswald/AP
Ammon Bundy poses in Emmett, Idaho in 2018.
Photograph: Kelsey Grey/AP
————————————————————————————–
At least 66 members of an anti-government group founded by far-right militia figure Ammon Bundy have attempted to win local positions of influence in the Republican party in Oregon, the Guardian can reveal.
The candidates stood for Republican precinct committee person (PCP) slots in three central Oregon counties in this week’s elections, with some facing no opponent and thus winning their positions by default. The role of PCPs includes electing the executive of the county-level GOP apparatus.
The move is part of what appears to be a coordinated attempt to capture the local Republican party infrastructure, following a far-right strategy of “entryism” into more mainstream political bodies.
The electoral fate of all 66 candidates is not yet clear.
Evidence for these PCP candidates’ membership in the People’s Rights Network (PRN) group People’s Rights Oregon 5 (PRO5), and the coordinated nature of their political campaign, comes in part from dozens of hours of their conversations on a radio network set up by and for PRN members. These conversations were intercepted and recorded by an amateur radio operator who provided them to the Guardian.
That source’s name is being withheld due to fears of retaliation from members of the organization, prominent members of which have paramilitary ties.
Other recorded conversations include planning and evaluation of protests against Covid-19 vaccines and masking rules; stories of members’ armed interactions with intruders; and a discussion of the possibility that a contact serving in the military might be able to “scrounge up” some supplies for the group.
The revelations about the group’s highly organized participation in the Republican primaries raise questions about the extent of anti-government infiltration in the Republican party at the grassroots level, both now and in the immediate future.
PRO5’s strategy resembles the “precinct strategy” as coined by Arizona GOP activist Dan Schultz and promoted by Maga figures including Steve Bannon and Trump himself. That reflects a “shared instinct on the far right post-2020”, according to Devin Burghart of the Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights (IREHR), an organization that researches far-right extremism.
“They want to take over the local party apparatus and change it from the ground up,” he said.
People’s Rights, from pandemic to politics
Bundy founded PRN in April 2020, leveraging burgeoning Covid denialism and his own prominence in far-right circles after leading an armed standoff with federal law enforcement at Oregon’s Malheur national wildlife refuge in 2016.
In the first wave of the Covid pandemic, PRN attracted notoriety for protests against lockdown measures, mask mandates, and vaccines.
Ammon Bundy poses in Emmett, Idaho in 2018. Photograph: Kelsey Grey/AP
The group spread nationwide, and was organized by state, with each state under a state assistant reporting to Bundy, and states subdivided into areas, each under an area assistant. PRO5 is Oregon’s fifth area.
PRO5 has about 1,400 members. Burghart said it is “one of the most successful areas in terms of organization”.
He said: “One of the things separating them from other chapters is the early pivot to politics, which meant they no longer had to rely on Covid denialism, or the succession of conspiracy theories other chapters have tried to mobilize.”
That early pivot resulted in successes in Deschutes county Republican primaries in 2022, with People’s Rights members being elected to enough PCP roles there that they were able to take control of the Deschutes county Republican central committee. PRN PCPs then elected fellow members Scott Stuart as chair, and Connie Whelchel vice-chair.
Stuart – who as a prominent PRO5 activist extensively promoted false conspiracy theories about Covid and the 2020 election, and showed up to a Fourth of July parade in Redmond, Oregon in a Confederate uniform and waving a Confederate battle flag – was now in charge of the county Republican apparatus.
Now PRO5 appears to be rolling out the same strategy in neighboring counties in PRO5’s territory.
Radio network
People’s Rights communicates via radio networks that sometimes involve localised groups organized around particular cities or localities, and sometimes the general membership of the entire group.
The radio network the group uses to communicate incorporates inexpensive handheld radios whose normally short, line-of-sight range is extended by repeaters. Members are thus able to communicate over an almost 50-mile (80km) radius with simple devices. The group started building out its repeater network in July 2020 – in the midst of the pandemic – and added further repeater stations regularly until August 2023.
While repeaters for public benefit are often maintained by amateur radio clubs, nonprofit organizations or public safety agencies, these are set up for the exclusive use of People’s Rights affiliates.
The group prevents unwanted users from transmitting via their repeaters by setting their own radios to send a subaudible tone that identifies them as members of the group to the repeater device. But many of the handheld radios in use by the group use the General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) system. GMRS operators are legally required to register with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
The recordings capture the group’s weekly, members-only radio meetings, where members often sign in using their FCC-assigned GMRS callsigns, and where views are aired and plans are hatched regarding Covid-19 restrictions, school boards and local Republican politics.
Registrations are public and searchable on a dedicated FCC website, where individual names and addresses are listed along with call signs that person is licensed and required to use on specific radio service, and FCC registration numbers (FRNs) assigned to individuals.
FCC records thus allow individuals in the PRO5 radio network to be identified by their callsign.
Candidates for power
By cross-matching FCC records of callsigns used in PRO5 radio meet-ups, the Guardian was able to corroborate the source’s information that at least 34 PRO5 members ran for PCP positions in Deschutes county; 12 ran in Crook county; and at least 20 in Jefferson county.
In some precincts they were assured of success.
In precinct 2 of Jefferson county, for example, where 17 PCP slots are available, at least 12 of 18 candidates are identified as PRO5 members; in precinct 11, the only candidate is Paul W May, a People’s Rights member; and in precinct 21, all four candidates for four available slots are members.
With only 49 candidates running for positions in Jefferson county, and PRO5 guaranteed at least 21 committee seats, they will likely constitute a powerful voting bloc for central committee positions when votes are tallied.
One PCP candidate in Deschutes county, where PRO5 already dominates the local Republican apparatus, is BJ Soper, a longtime “patriot movement” figure who has participated in armed standoffs with government agencies, and who has a long list of ties to paramilitary groups.
In 2015, Soper served as a “standing guard” at the Sugar Pine Mine standoff in southern Oregon, where Oath Keepers, Three Percenters and the Soper-organized Pacific Patriots Network (PPN) rallied around miners whose unapproved construction work had drawn enforcement notices from the Bureau of Land Management.
PPN was also present in the early stages of the Malheur standoff, and although Soper initially disapproved of the Bundy-led occupation of the US Fish and Wildlife Service facility at the refuge, at the end of the first week of the standoff PPN issued a “call to action” to “secure a perimeter around the wildlife refuge, its occupiers and the citizens of Harney county”.
Months later, Soper was reportedly running weekly firearms training with another group, the Central Oregon Constitutional Guard.
During the pandemic, Soper rallied to Bundy’s standard, and himself criticized Covid restrictions, mask mandates and vaccines, and wrote on Facebook in 2020 that Osha’s extension of social distancing into 2021 was “a political coup meant to destroy this country”, adding: “I have not worn a mask yet and I refuse to do so at any point. I’ve not social distanced myself at any point since this nonsense has started.”
The same year he became PRN assistant for all of Oregon except area 5, which encompasses Redmond, his city of residence.
Burghart, the IREHR extremism expert, said, “he’s been quite adept at walking the fine line of legality”, adding that Soper “has learned from Bundy’s successes and failures” and has played a central role in PRO5’s successful organizing.
Radio recordings
Recordings of their radio conversations indicate that while the PRO5’s earliest years were dominated by Covid-19 denialism and protests against vaccine and mask mandates, they soon reflected the group’s growing preoccupation with local Republican politics.
As early as the summer of 2021, however, members were being encouraged to involve themselves in local politics.
In a 11 July weekly meeting which included Soper, PRO5 member and current Deschutes PCP candidate Mark Knowles mentioned that there had been “a lot of interest in precinct committee seats in Deschutes county, and told listeners that with a one page application – you could be appointed and have a real say in Deschutes Republican politics”.
Increasingly, speakers at the weekly radio meetings issued reminders of upcoming Republican meetings and social events, including a 22 September 2023 Deschutes Republican Party golf tournament, and a 24 March Deschutes county Republicans dinner at the Bend Elks Club.
After PRO5’s successes in Deschutes county in 2022, their radio meetings become more and more intertwined with local Republican party business. On 12 March 2023, Brian Gatley of Redmond told the Redmond “Little Group of Patriots” radio meeting that “I was down in Bend all afternoon for the [Deschutes Republican Party] meeting,”.
PRO5 member Scott Stuart was elected chair of the Deschutes Republicans after their success in fielding PCP candidates in 2022.
Later in the same meeting, another member, Redmond’s LoriLark McBride, suggested a high level of internal organization in PRO5 directed at the capture of the local Republican apparatus.
“John [McBride] and I attended the PCP training and it was great.”
Both McBrides later stood for election in Deschutes county precinct 17.
Racism like bigotry is surging in the south right now. All in backlash to a black man being elected president. The racist went crazy. All backed by big money wealthy racists. The university president said that public universities should stay neutral on social controversies that is why they are doing it. Wrong. Racism is not or at least shouldn’t be a controversy, a difference of view points. It is wrong. I say again for those needing clarification. Racism is wrong. Period. It needs to die off like slavery and the old Jim Crow laws, that sadly are making a comeback. Diversity, equality, and inclusion programs are very much needed, as are LGBTQ+ centers at schools along with gay straight student groups. These all help bring in more of the people who historically have been disadvantaged. Understand what they do. It is not quotas. It is making available places, education, jobs that were traditionally once denied to those groups. The fact that sometimes it means white straight cis people don’t get everything they want to or get that position that they think they are owed then too bad, you have lots more opportunities. It is crazy entitlement. The idea that every straight cis white person automatically is better and deserves opportunities before someone not white straight cis is just horrible. Yet that is what is sweeping red states. Republicans pushing the idea that somehow opening a door for those that had then closed, somehow hurts the white straight cis people. The republicans like fundamentalist Christians love to play the victim, they love to be aggrieved. The republicans look at everything as a limited pie where something for one person means less for them. That is not the way it is, equality and inclusion benefits everyone. Hugs. Scottie
North Carolina’s public university system board voted Thursday to repeal a nearly five-year-old diversity, equity and inclusion policy, meaning its 17 schools will likely join other major universities in cutting diversity programs and jobs.
The 24-member University of North Carolina Board of Governors approved its agenda, which included the diversity policy repeal, with two members voting against the repeal. Campus changes are expected to take place at the start of the next school year.
UNC System President Peter Hans [photo] said in his meeting remarks that students and faculty should be allowed to confront “competing ideas” but the role of public universities is to remain neutral on “political controversies.”
Students are holding a press conference ahead of the UNC Board of Governors' meeting this morning. The BOG will vote on whether to eliminate a policy requiring DEI at all public universities in the state. Students are urging them to keep the policy & DEI initiatives. #ncedpic.twitter.com/u0T386vHuK
#NCED Today the UNC System Board of Trustees voted to repeal its Diversity & Inclusion Policy in favor of “institutional neutrality.” In a survey conducted by the Forum, students and others expressed concerns about the impact of this decision.
And getting rid of diversity isn’t politically neutral either. To be completely neutral, they would have to present both sides or nothing at all politically. They took a side.
It’s very simple. The white Christians of NC feel threatened of losing their majority superiority so they want to send bat signals to people of color to leave or stay away.
A reminder: If the religious right’s puppet, Donald Trump, gets back into the White House, this sort of thing — this thing in North Carolina — will soon become national policy.
“… … students and faculty should be allowed to confront “competing ideas” but the role of public universities is to remain neutral on “political controversies.”
“Competing Ideas” = racism, homophobia, trans phobia, xenophobia, et al.
“Remain Neutral … …” = BULLFUCKINGSHIT! This decision is not being neutral. It’s being racist, homophobic, transphobic, xenophobic, et al and political.
I want to thank personnelente at https://personnelente.wordpress.com/2024/05/17/immigration-facts/ for the link. The fact is far too many lies are being told about immigrants due to racism and political advantage. The facts show that immigrants commit fewer crimes than citizens, and that immigrants add to the economy not diminish it. The US economy does far better with immigrants than without them. Hugs. Scottie
The myth that immigrants, documented or otherwise, drive wages lower and crime higher thankfully seems to be petering out. That’s not enough
I’m worried instead that our changing attitudes about immigration, our rhetoric and our behavior, will ultimately curtail immigration policy to the point where we cause serious damage to our nation. In a fast-developing, fast-urbanizing world in which a fierce global battle for labor and talent is well underway, America is already underperforming. We have one thing going for us, though: robust immigration rates. And we’re about to give it up.
Post 9/11, America reframed the debate about immigration to be one of national security and borders, rather than economic imperatives, growth or national prosperity.
In terms of sheer numbers, America has more people living in it who weren’t born in the country than any other nation in the world, by a lot.The Pew Research Center estimates that there were 50.6 million people who are not native-born in the United States in 2020. That’s more than the immigrant populations of the next four largest nations combined. But, as a percentageof its population, America now ranks 25th among nations with populations greater than 1 million; roughly 1 in 7 of America’s residents are foreign-born. For the world’s pre-eminent “nation of immigrants,” that number isn’t all that high. As many as 1 in 5 of Canada’s residents are foreign-born, and in Australia foreign-born residents make up almost 30% percent of the population.
What is behind this shift? Post 9/11, America reframed the debate about immigration to be one of national security and borders, rather than economic imperatives, growth or national prosperity. It’s telling that unlike most other countries, in the U.S., immigration now falls under the Department of Homeland Security, rather than economic development, or the Commerce Department or under a department called, say, “Immigration.”
Nearly a quarter century later, this reframing has left us with an enduring misunderstanding about what immigrants contribute to this country. Without reversing this narrative, and a strong national strategy for maintaining — and likely increasing — high immigration numbers, America could soon start to suffer irreparable economic harm.
The myth that immigrants, documented or otherwise, drive wages lower seems to be petering out. Much of the mythology around this stemmed from a largely debunked 2015 Harvard study written by George Borjas called “The Wage Impact of the Marielitos,” which argued that Cuban refugees who formed the 1980 Mariel boatlift caused a large drop in wages for native-born workers in Miami. This proved false. And on a much larger scale, our national unemployment rate of under 4%, with wages rising faster than inflation, lays waste to the idea that an influx of workers hurts the economy in general, or wages in particular.
And then there is the spreading notion, racist-but-effective, of “migrant crime.” While crime is of course committed by every demographic group, Americans who are not native-born commit less of it than native-born Americans, perhaps in some part because they have a unique disincentive — deportation — to do so. In fact, since the 1960s, immigrant men are 60% less likely to be incarcerated than those born in the U.S. The data proves that rampant migrant crime is a feeling, not a fact.
When we mainstream these counterfactual notions, we distance ourselves from meeting the long-term imperative of maintaining America’s position as the world’s top destination for immigrants. Our continued economic success hinges on growing our levels of immigration. We simply can’t afford to mess this up.
As a percentage of its population, American immigration numbers lag behind competitor nations, like my home country of Canada, which have long understood the benefits of strong immigration and have taken great pains to make themselves attractive destinations for immigrants (as Canada did for my parents, who emigrated from Kenya). We want — we need — our working-age population to grow; more labor means a better, stronger economy. In the face of an imminent drop in those numbers as the baby boom generation retires, immigrants are more critical than ever. Immigrants will fill in this worker gap.
Prioritizing immigration will keep our population from stagnating and possibly shrinking. More than three-quarters of immigrants in the U.S., according to Pew Research, live and work in this country as a result of following normal immigration channels. Given new U.S. Census Bureau data, Brookings estimates that high immigration will allow us to counter an aging populace and help build our working-age population.
With each slip of the tongue when referring to undocumented migrants as “illegals,” we are not simply perpetuating a myth among Americans but, perhaps more dangerously, we are solidifying a reputation as a country that is unwelcoming to the very migrants we so desperately need.
Immigrants also help to alleviate critical worker shortages in a wide range of American industries, filling in the gaps by doing jobs that native-born workers either don’t want to do, or aren’t educated to do. Foreign-born workers comprise 22% of all workers in the U.S. food supply chain, 38% of home health aides, 29% of doctors, 23% of pharmacists and 15.2% of nurses. In STEM fields, more than one-fifth of workers are foreign born, and foreign-born migrants are responsible for more than 75% of patents from the top 10 patent-producing U.S. universities. Those patents lead to startups. Those startups lead to jobs. The workers in those jobs pay taxes and consume, and often launch startups of their own.
The data is clear. In the words of Alexander Hamilton — (or at least the version of him written into the eponymous play by Lin Manuel Miranda), — immigrants get the job done.
With each passing day, each slip of the tongue when referring to undocumented migrants as “illegals,” we are not simply perpetuating a myth among Americans but, perhaps more dangerously, we are solidifying a reputation as a country that is unwelcoming to the very migrants we so desperately need. In doing so, we are putting our future in peril.
I’m not the only immigrant in my family. Every member of my family for four generations and over the last 125 years has ended up becoming an immigrant, from India, to South Africa and Mozambique, to Kenya, to Canada and the United Kingdom and, in my case, to America. We know what it’s like to look for and, ultimately, to find a home. And we will fight to make that home a better place for our children and for those who come after us.
Immigrants are not our problem in America — yet. Let’s make sure we don’t get there.
This is an adapted excerpt from Ali Velshi’s newest book, “Small Acts of Courage.”
Ali Velshi
Ali Velshi is the host of “Velshi,” which airs Saturdays and Sundays on MSNBC. He has been awarded the National Headliner Award for Business & Consumer Reporting for “How the Wheels Came Off,” a special on the near collapse of the American auto industry. His work on disabled workers and Chicago’s red-light camera scandal in 2016 earned him two News and Documentary Emmy Award nominations, adding to a nomination in 2010 for his terrorism coverage.
Journalist and author George Stephanopoulos tells Stephen how the President’s command center in the basement of the White House has changed over the decades, and he previews some of the wild stories readers will find in his new book, “The Situation Room.”
I know the election is over but a lot of my viewers don’t know this guy. He is really reasonable and is socially progressive. He is not really on board with the anti-poor anti-LGBTQ+ profit over people other republicans. He is also not against immigration. Plus he is hot if you like tall built farm boy types, and he is a person who is not offended by that. Hugs. Scottie
What these states are fighting for is the right to discriminate and target kids for abuse, which in their minds somehow pushes the fundamentalist Christian superior morals. They really believe that these laws denying kids the right to live as their authentic self without being harassed and targeted makes their god happy. I got news for them, I doubt it makes their god happy but I know it makes them happy. Their god seems to hate those they hate and love the things they like. Weird how that works. These same states removed child labor protections and school food assistance programs. Makes kids more willing to sacrifice school for work if they are hungry and harassed. Hugs. Scottie
Read the full article. The parents were represented by the anti-LGBTQ Beckett Fund For Religious Liberty, which represented Hobby Lobby in its successful bid to deny birth control to employees. As you can see below, supporting the parents is homocon Andy Ngo.
Liberals were left stunned as Muslims & Islamists gathered on Tuesday to protest the Montgomery County (Maryland) School Board over its LGBTQ+ curriculum. The Muslims want to be able to remove their children from the classroom when that material is taught. pic.twitter.com/vgTai9erXQ
This is what happens when you have hate preachers and right wing media constantly pushing a narrative of anti-LGBTQ+ propaganda and claiming that gay and trans people want to make everyone gay and trans. Plus the US needs better mental health treatments and the US really need to screen police officers much better. Hugs. Scottie
Read the full article. Of note, Lupe Fiasco recently called out fellow rappers for their homophobic lyrics. As you’ll see below, Gomez brandishes assault weapons in most of her videos. Her “weak and gay” video has over two million views as of today.
I found a strong gay man for you Ms. Gomez. Seek him out for some strong advice. I dare ya.
Corporal Andrew Charles Wilfhart is the first openly gay US soldier to die in combat since the repeal (DADT) policy in 2011. Wilfhart died in Operation Enduring Freedom. Major Alan Rogers, died in 2008 while serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom as an Army intelligence officer.
These asshole red state republicans refuse to honor Black History Month and Pride Month but they can celebrate traitors who attacked the US government so they could continue to discriminate against, abuse, and keep black humans as slaves. Yet they call themselves Christians. Hugs. Scottie
Some republican red states like Florida have passed laws making Christian Preachers / Priests / Pastors legally able to be school councilors. Yes troubled kids asking for help will have to accept being preached to, told to pray more, and give their body’s to … god. Yet some of these preachers don’t accept medical science, don’t believe gay LGBTQ+ kids have rights or are born the way they are, they will try to guilt trip them into changing into cis straight kids who go to that church. Hugs. Scottie
The fundamentalist got some more control over a woman’s body with the ending of Roe, now they are going for the entire control over the woman’s rights, their bodies, and their sex organs. Hugs. Scottie
This is their way of forcing their god on the public, in a public school, regardless of the parents religion or lack of. But no other religion gets to do this, just the Christians. Hugs. Scottie
And this is why they feel the need to do this. They are losing more than the culture war and control of society. They are losing money and possible influence because less and less people believe in their deity, far more ass are in pews putting moeny in collection plates.
Another pair of republican Christian jerks who try to force their religious doctrine on everyone while running on family values and hating on the LGBTQ+. But they don’t follow the rules they demand you follow. They were having an affair. Hugs. Scottie
And this jerk wants to make wearing a mask to protest illegal … and yet the terrorist right wing gang thugs like Proud Boys, Patriot Front, Oath keepers, and other Nazi racist bigoted groups wear them all the time to prevent being fired from their jobs. I doubt this bill will pass without some kind of exemption for them. Hugs. Scottie
Screw the immuno-compromised, right? And don’t expect this law to be used against the Proud Boys or Patriot Front.
Sen. Buck Newton, not incidentally, first appeared here in 2016 when as state attorney general nominee, he spoke at a hate group rally, declaring, “Go home, tell your friends and family who had to work today what this is all about and how hard we must fight to keep our state straight.”
approved masks
Not approved:
Definitely not approved:
I wonder if this would be illegal?
And who do you think he works for when / if he holds office. Hint it won’t be for you, the public. Hugs. Scottie
This one is new but it shows how republicans simply lie and misinform now. Reality means nothing to them. They learned from tRump that voters on their side no longer care about the truth, care about what is real. They simply make false claims and double down on it when called out. They don’t even care. They want their cake and eat it also. Hugs. Scottie
Read the full article. In an interview today with a Minnesota station, Trump denied having said he’d never go back. And then he denied that Biden won Minnesota in 2020. Watch the LOL clip.
Yes. He was appropriately roped off by police/crime scene tape.
I posted about this situation the other day. We have an ideology driven supreme court who wants to make rules based on their religious convictions rather than law. They have an extreme religious faith and demand the right to make the rest of the country that way.
An 887-page plan by Project 2025, led by the ultra-conservative Heritage Foundation, says that if elected, Trump should make a concerted effort to execute the remaining 40 prisoners on death row.https://t.co/LPpIVcvWgc
For those that don’t think this is important, I worked with some Catholic doctors that were so religious high rollers that they condemn and refused to treat those they felt broke god’s laws or their church rules. Specifically the LGBTQ+. I have repeated told of an ICU doctor who was assigned a very sick and dying openly gay man in a same sex relationship. This was just before same sex marriage was legal country wide and before it was legal in Florida. The patient’s lover / boyfriend had complete power of attorney over all the patient’s medical, financial, and other life decisions, something all of us gay people in same sex relationships did so our partners could make our hospital decisions when we couldn’t. This doctor refused to listen or include the patient’s gay partner disregarding their relationship. He went so far as to call the patient’s estranged family members to try to get them to overrule the wishes of the partner. The patient’s partner got a lawyer and legal told the doctor he had to include the partner and treat him as the next of kin legally. The doctor walked on the floor, took the chart and signed himself off the case. Then loudly told all of us he was not the doctor of record for the patient and he wouldn’t treat him, so do not call him or his people for any reason for that patient. That left us and the hospital scrambling. The ICU intensives all worked for the same practice started by that doctor, so they had to find some doctor qualified to step in to be the patient’s doctor because the ICU requires a doctor to be qualified on respirators such as a pulmonologist. Yes they can have other doctors treat them in the ICU but in our ICU’s because of the possibility the patients would have to be intubated in case of a code the ICU and all patients had to be managed by the intensivist / pulmonologist. He was always a self righteous prick, he and his top doctors always bragging about their connections to the Catholic hierarchy locally and the time they spent at the Vatican. This holy super Christian was willing to let a man die rather than acknowledge his male partner and same sex relationship. Hugs. Scottie
Biden Administration Restores Health Protections for Gay and Transgender People
The Health and Human Services Department finalized a rule prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, reversing a Trump-era policy.https://t.co/u3zp49A4E1
Ammon Bundy poses in Emmett, Idaho in 2018.
Photograph: Kelsey Grey/AP————————————————————————————–
Scottie's Playtime 