A Mole Infiltrated the Highest Ranks of American Militias. This Is What He Found.
A Mole Infiltrated the Highest Ranks of American Militias. This Is What He Found.
Outraged by the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, a wilderness survival trainer spent years undercover climbing the ranks of right-wing militias. He didn’t tell police or the FBI. He didn’t tell family or friends. The one person he told was a ProPublica reporter.
That was a wild read. These militia people are nutjobs.
I don't even know what to say. it's like from the movies...
Yeah, I was blown away by the article. The guy did this all on his own too. Could warrant an actual movie someday.
Definitely a good read. Now I have to read the other articles that were linked.
Wow. READ THIS ARTICLE.
Then donate to Propublica.
The stature of men leading the group’s post-Jan. 6 resurrection startled me. I was expecting the ex-cops, like the one from Fresno, California, who said he stayed on with the militia because “this defines me.” Militias tend to prize law enforcement ties; during an armed operation, it could be useful to have police see you as a friend.
But there was also an Ohio OB-GYN on the national board of directors — he used to work for the Cleveland Clinic, I discovered, and now led a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group.
Hm.
Then think about why the corporate news sewers won’t touch it.
A tidbit that isn't the most important thing in the story, but says a lot on its own:
Kinch came to serve in elite detective units over 23 years in the force, hunting fugitives and helping take down gangs like the Playboy Bloods. Eventually he was assigned to what he called the “Black squad,” according to court records, tasked with investigating violent crimes where the suspect was African American. (A Las Vegas police spokesperson told me they stopped “dividing squads by a suspect’s race” a year before Kinch retired.)
When reading this, I thought the policy was likely dropped in my lifetime, but probably in the 90s. Further down, it turned out he retired in 2016. Meaning Las Vegas had that policy up through the late Obama Administration.
Is it any wonder that these militia groups are riddled with cops?
Nazis all the way down
"Some of those who work forces, are the same who burn crosses."
I can't tell the difference. They don't even pretend to look different.
I don't know why the article didn't mention any of the law enforcement names tied to the group.
But the one that caught my attention was the Iron County Sheriff. His name is Ken Carpenter. Looking up statements he's made publicly, it's very believable this guy is tied to AP3. Interestingly his second-in-command resigned very recently over allegations that he was violently intimidating and retaliating against other officers.
his second-in-command resigned very recently over allegations that he was violently intimidating and retaliating against other officers.
Ken was or the deputy was?
The deputy correct.
Next time someone says they're a bunch of fat, stupid, gun nuts, I'm pointing to this. Been downvoted many times for saying these people are real, trained and fit. You only see the Gravy Seals because they're a joke.
Here's the article the author wrote:
https://www.propublica.org/article/inside-secret-ap3-militia-american-patriots-three-percent
Haven't read that yet.
For me, the most important lesson in the mole's own article was: access to social media can turn tides and fortunes around.
What’s more, AP3’s best recruiting tool was essentially gone: Facebook had cracked down on paramilitary organizing. “Facebook has been our greatest weapon. It’s gotten us where we are today,” Seddon told his troops.
Social media environments help build organizations like that. And when a social media company invests non-trivial effort to cut them off (generally not out of good will, but due to legislation), they do experience a withering effect.
...but with lots of work, they can overcome it. Which is why their propaganda should be removed and countered anywhere it can be.
Seddon sought ways to capitalize on the improving political climate. In Alabama, members fanned out to shops around the state, where they dropped off stacks of business cards encouraging patriots to “do your part.” “The APIII Alabama Recruitment line has rang non stop today,” a leader reported back afterward. “I honestly wasn’t expecting it to get this big.”
In Washington state, AP3 members in the military reserves touted the militia to fellow reservists during their units’ regular monthly drills. One chapter looked into purchasing billboard ads. In internal chats, many members agreed the “best place to recruit” is Veterans Affairs facilities.
...
By the fall, they had arrived at a more efficient method. Facebook’s public posture hadn’t wavered. AP3 was still on its list of banned “dangerous organizations.” Again and again in press releases, the company said its efforts to combat militias were stronger than ever.
Inside AP3, though, leaders were seeing something different: The social media giant was gradually loosening its controls.
Social media environments help build organizations like that.
I want to build this, but for liberal minded people to vote, prepare to defend themselves, learn mutual aid and self-sufficiency. In. That. Order.
Did you read the whole thing?! Despite all his up and downs, random careers and jobs, he was still able to pull these people together. That should be a wake up call. For all of us.
Not to put too fine a point on it, but we libs could do the same, get a political org that actually speaks to people and gets them engaged. Or, at worst, ready to defend themselves.
That's a killer business idea.
These militias are absolutely unhinged. The reporters and especially the mole deserve medals for this kind of reporting. I hope this makes some modicum of difference.
Anyone else remember when DHS, during the W admin, "discovered" that the biggest threat to the United States was domestic terrorism from right wing militia types?
The RW nutjobs cried and cried because Obama administration was coming in, and "this is unfairly targeting Republicans, so UNFAIR!", and they had some feelings about it, and so it was quickly buried and little done about it.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dhs-domestic-terror-warning-angers-gop/
I think the FBI said this more recently, around the Charleston church terrorist attack.
Its a well know fact that terrorist attacks in the US are mostly US citizens, white, male, and with a history of domestic abuse.
I wonder if they downplayed the fact that most of them are right wing, and not just vaguely right wing, but explicitly so.
I have to say that is the best use of a slur by Williams about himself. Fuck these Nazis and thank God there's people out there undermining
Context
But Williams(The Mole) wants to let his former comrades(MAGAs) know “a faggot is doing this to them.” He thinks his story could be his most effective weapon.
TL;DR
That’s a terrible tldr, with no actual content. Its more of an intro..
Here is a better one (IMO):
Williams became a state-level leader in one militia and gained direct access to prominent national figures. However, his actions - such as warning journalists about threats and trying to derail militia activities - put him in danger of being exposed. When his warnings were publicized, he fled, fearing for his safety.
Now living in hiding, Williams is determined to continue his fight against militias. He plans to release his findings publicly, aiming to sow paranoia within these groups and expose their ties to law enforcement.
Here are some of John Williams’ most concerning findings from his infiltration of militias:
• Williams uncovered extensive ties between militia groups and law enforcement, including direct relationships with sheriffs and police officers who shared the militias’ ideologies. For example, a Utah sheriff was reportedly close with Oath Keepers and facilitated introductions to state officials.
• Some militia members held significant positions of authority, including a city prosecutor, an Air Force reserve master sergeant, and a doctor affiliated with a major healthcare provider. These members leveraged their professional roles to advance the militia’s agenda.
• Militias conducted targeted surveillance on journalists, student reporters, and political activists, going as far as staking out homes and compiling detailed “doxing” files with personal information, including addresses and family details.
• Members of these groups frequently entertained discussions about violent action, including assassinating politicians and attacking perceived enemies. Although some of these discussions were logistical debates, they underscored a willingness to act violently if conditions aligned.
• Despite the fallout from the Capitol riot, Williams observed the resurgence of militias like the Oath Keepers and AP3. Recruitment was increasing, and the groups were consolidating resources, retraining, and preparing for future operations ahead of the 2024 election.
• Groups were not acting in isolation. Williams facilitated and documented collaborations between AP3, the Oath Keepers, and other extremist factions, including joint training exercises and intelligence-sharing.
• Williams manipulated a young militia recruit, who later revealed having compiled doxing files and participated in intimidating surveillance activities. This demonstrated the militias’ appeal to and radicalization of younger, vulnerable individuals.
• Militias engaged in extensive paramilitary training, including the use of improvised explosives, ambush tactics, and firearms. Leaders emphasized preparing for a potential collapse of democratic systems or violent conflict.
I really hope this kind of thing makes a difference. He deserves peace in his life.
I dont know why he hasnt left the US yet, that just seems stupid to me.
The only thing that startles me about his reporting is that at no point an FBI agent didn't step up and ask wtf he was doing. Which tells me they're entirely blind to the threat, and will be completely surprised when the next McVeigh appears.
Likely willfully blind.
These limp-dicks could do ten thousand pushups and then shoot me in the face with presicion aim and they'd still be losers. Losers is who they are as people, so long as they fight for this anti-cause.
Punching down is rarely a worthy cause
That was downright horrifying
I kept thinking the next paragraph would reveal that this is a plot for a movie or a far cry game. This shit's real!
And liberals don’t give a shit
Liberals support this guy
Source: am liberal