Hundreds of US public officials, police officers and soldiers are or have been involved with the far-right Oath Keepers militia, according to a report from an anti-extremism organization, reports BBC News.
Oath Keepers: Leaked membership list includes police and politicians (BBC News)
Excerpt from BBC News: The Anti-Defamation League's Center on Extremism compared the names from a leak of Oath Keepers membership rolls with public records and social media. Oath Keepers are accused of playing a key role in last year's Capitol riots. The report raises fresh concerns about the presence of extremist ideology in law enforcement and the military. "The Oath Keepers are a virulently anti-government, violent extremist group," Anti-Defamation League (ADL) chief executive Jonathan Greenblatt said in a statement on Wednesday. Last year, a whistleblower group called Distributed Denial of Secrets published more than 38,000 names on the Oath Keepers' membership list - although experts estimate that the group's current active membership is much lower. Analysis of the leaked data by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) identified 81 people across the country who currently hold public office, or are running in November's midterm elections.
In a related story from Axios, a New Mexico judge on Tuesday disqualified Couy Griffin, a county commissioner who founded Cowboys for Trump, from serving in public office ever again because of his participation in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
Cowboys for Trump founder barred from public office over Jan. 6 (Axios)
Excerpt from Axios: The judge ruled that Griffin is "barred for life" from serving as an elected official, effective immediately, under the 14th Amendment because he took part in the "insurrection after taking his oath," per the court filing. "Mr. Griffin aided the insurrection even though he did not personally engage in violence," State District Judge Francis Mathew said. Mathew also said that Griffin, who serves as Otero County commissioner, "incited, encouraged, and helped normalize the violence on January 6," citing his participation in chants and filming videos for social media."By joining the mob and trespassing on restricted Capitol grounds, Mr. Griffin contributed to delaying Congress' election-certification proceedings," the judge said.
And finally, one of the alleged co-conspirators of the Jan. 6 riot, Stephen Bannon has been charged with money laundering, fraud and conspiracy in connection with the "We Build the Wall" fundraising scheme for which he received a federal pardon during Donald Trump’s final days in the White House, with state prosecutors alleging that donors were misled about how their contributions would be used, writes the Washington Post.
Bannon charged with fraud, money laundering, conspiracy in ‘We Build the Wall’ (Washington Post)
Excerpt from the Washington Post: Bannon, 68 — who is awaiting sentencing in Washington after being convicted this summer of contempt of Congress — was walked into New York Supreme Court in handcuffs on Thursday and pleaded not guilty to the state charges through his attorney. He had turned himself in that morning. The conduct described in the indictment closely resembles what was alleged in a federal case brought by Justice Department officials more than two years ago, during Trump’s presidency, when Bannon was yanked off a yacht and taken into federal court to face charges. Bannon "acted as the architect of a multi-million dollar scheme to defraud thousands of donors across the country — including hundreds of Manhattan residents," Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D) said in a statement issued after the indictment was unsealed.
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