6.2 The Proud Boys: “[Y]ou Want to Storm the Capitol”
6.2 The Proud Boys: “[Y]ou Want to Storm the Capitol”
¶From the Proud Boys’ founding in 2016, violence was intrinsic to their mission. “We will kill you. That’s the Proud Boys in a nutshell,” their founder said.85 “Proud Boys,” Anti-Defamation League, (Jan. 23, 2020), available at https://www.adl.org/proudboys. New recruits pledge an oath, established in the group’s bylaws, identifying themselves as unapologetic “Western chauvinists,”86 Documents on file with the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol (Proud Boys International Production), PBI 12 (The Constitution and Bylaws of Proud Boys International L.L.C., revised November 24, 2018). promoting an exclusionary, hyper-masculine interpretation of Western culture.87 “Proud Boys,” Stanford University Center for International Security and Cooperation, (January 2022), available at https://cisac.fsi.stanford.edu/mappingmilitants/profiles/proud-boys. They find common ground in an embrace of misogyny and hate for their perceived enemies.88 “Proud Boys,” Stanford University Center for International Security and Cooperation, (January 2022), available at https://cisac.fsi.stanford.edu/mappingmilitants/profiles/proud-boys. The group is somewhat ethnically diverse, but their public and private messages fester with toxic white supremacist, xenophobic, and anti-Semitic slurs.89 See, e.g., Documents on file with the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol (Jay Thaxton Production), CTRL0000055644, (December 27-28, 2020, “Ministry of Self Defense,” Telegram messages from 7:43 p.m.-1:53 a.m.); “Proud Boys,” Stanford University Center for International Security and Cooperation, (January 2022), available at https://cisac.fsi.stanford.edu/mappingmilitants/profiles/proud-boys.
¶The Proud Boys have participated in, or instigated, protests since their founding.90 See, e.g., Jason Wilson, “Portland Rally: Proud Boys Vow to March Each Month after Biggest Protest of Trump Era,” The Guardian, (Aug. 17, 2019), available at https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/aug/17/portland-oregon-far-right-rally-proud-boys-antifa. They’ve long been known as street brawlers looking for a fight.91 See Statement of Heidi L. Beirich, Ph.D., (Mar. 22, 2022), at p.1. But 2020 was a watershed year for the group. As protests spread around the country, the Proud Boys deputized themselves as agents of law and order—vigilantes against perceived threats.92 See, e.g., Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, Deposition of George Meza, (Mar. 16, 2022), p. 155. More often, they played the role of instigators.93 See, e.g., Cleve R. Wootson Jr., “Thousands of Proud Boys Plan to Rally in Portland, Setting Up Another Clash in a Combustible City,” Washington Post, (Sept. 25, 2020), available at https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/09/25/portland-oregon-proud-boys-rally/; see also, Aaron Wolfson and Hampton Stall, “Actor Profile: Proud Boys,” Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, (Apr. 22, 2021), available at https://acleddata.com/2021/04/22/actor-profile-proud-boys/ (noting the “percentage of events with counter-demonstrators in which Proud Boys members participated was more than 10 times the rate at which others engaged with counter-demonstrators.”). They portrayed themselves as counter-protesters and identified their targets as Black Lives Matter and Antifa—though they were hard-pressed to define their organizational enemies.94 Nick Quested, a filmmaker who followed the Proud Boys through January 6th, described how Proud Boys couldn’t define Black Lives Matter or Antifa—and that, in person, Proud Boys simply identified them as “people of color and people with progressive values.” Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, Transcribed Interview of Nick Quested, (Apr. 5, 2022), p. 78.
¶A Proud Boy during a “Stop the Steal” rally on November 7, 2020 in Salem, Oregon. Photo by Nathan Howard/Getty Images
¶During the presidential debate on September 29, 2020, President Trump was asked to disavow far-right extremists, including the Proud Boys. The President did not explicitly condemn the group. Instead, he seemingly endorsed their mission. “Stand back and stand by,” President Trump told the Proud Boys, before adding, “but I’ll tell you what . . . somebody’s got to do something about Antifa and the left.”95 Kathleen Ronayne and Michael Kunzelman, “Trump to Far-Right Extremists: ‘Stand Back and Stand By’,” Associated Press, (Sept. 30, 2020), available at https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-race-and-ethnicity-donald-trump-chris-wallace-0b32339da25fbc9e8b7c7c7066a1db0f. The President’s words electrified the group, injecting new life into their recruitment and activities. According to Nick Quested, a filmmaker who spent significant time with the group and testified before the Select Committee, the Proud Boys had found their “savior” in President Trump.96 Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, Transcribed Interview of Nick Quested, (Apr. 5, 2022), p. 117.
¶Joseph Biggs, a senior Proud Boy, immediately trumpeted President Trump’s debate statement on Parler,97 Emails obtained by the Select Committee show that Parler featured alarmingly violent and specific posts that in some cases advocated for civil war. See, e.g., Documents on file with the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol (Parler Production), PARLER_00000006 (December 24, 2020, email forwarded to the FBI, “We need to mass an armed force of American Patriots 150,000 on the Virginia side of the Potomac prepared to react to the congressional events of January 6th”). In a January 2, 2021, email, a Parler employee wrote that they were “concerned about Wednesday,” which would be January 6th. See Documents on file with the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol (Parler Production), PARLER_00000009 (January 2, 2021, email forwarded to the FBI, “One more from same account. More where came from. Concerned about Wednesday...”). a fringe social media platform. Biggs made it clear that the Proud Boys were ready to fight Antifa.98 Atlantic Council’s DFRLab, “#StopTheSteal: Timeline of Social Media and Extremist Activities Leading to 1/6 Insurrection,” Just Security, (Feb. 10, 2021), available at https://www.justsecurity.org/74622/stopthesteal-timeline-of-social-media-and-extremist-activities-leading-to-1-6-insurrection/. The group’s size “tripled” in response to President Trump’s apparent endorsement, according to Jeremy Bertino, a Proud Boys leader who has pleaded guilty to seditious conspiracy in relation to January 6th.99 Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, Deposition of Jeremy Bertino, (Apr. 26, 2022), p. 38; see also “Former Leader of Proud Boys Pleads Guilty to Seditious Conspiracy for Efforts to Stop Transfer of Power Following 2020 Presidential Election,” Department of Justice, (Oct. 6, 2022), available at https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/former-leader-proud-boys-pleads-guilty-seditious-conspiracy-efforts-stop-transfer-power.mer-leader-proud-boys-pleads-guilty-seditious-conspiracy-efforts-stop-transfer-power. Similarly, Enrique Tarrio and another Proud Boys member, George Meza, testified to the Select Committee that the President’s comment was a pivotal, energizing moment.100 Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, Deposition of Henry Tarrio, (Feb. 4, 2022), pp. 50-51, 221-22; Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, Deposition of George Meza, (Mar. 16, 2022), pp. 21-22. The group started selling merchandise with their new “stand back and stand by” slogan the very same night.101 Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, Deposition of Henry Tarrio, (Feb. 4, 2022), p. 221.
508¶As the presidential votes were tallied, the Proud Boys became agitated at the prospect that President Trump would lose. On November 5, 2020, Biggs posted on social media, “It’s time for fucking war if they steal this shit.”102 Tom Dreisbach, “Conspiracy Charges Bring Proud Boys’ History Of Violence into Spotlight,” NPR, (Apr. 9, 2021), available at https://www.npr.org/2021/04/09/985104612/conspiracy-charges-bring-proud-boys-history-of-violence-into-spotlight. As former Vice President Joe Biden’s victory became apparent, Proud Boys leaders directed their ire toward others in the Government. Biggs, speaking on a Proud Boys livestream show with Tarrio and others, warned that government officials are “evil scum, and they all deserve to die a traitor’s death.” Ethan Nordean—another Proud Boys leader who allegedly helped lead the attack at the Capitol—responded, “Yup, Day of the Rope,”103 Tom Dreisbach, “Conspiracy Charges Bring Proud Boys’ History Of Violence into Spotlight,” NPR, (Apr. 9, 2021), available at https://www.npr.org/2021/04/09/985104612/conspiracy-charges-bring-proud-boys-history-of-violence-into-spotlight. referring to a day of mass lynching of “race traitors” in the white supremacist novel The Turner Diaries.104 “Day of the Rope,” Anti-Defamation League, available at https://www.adl.org/resources/hate-symbol/day-rope.
509The Proud Boys in Washington prior to January 6th
¶Within days of the election, dozens of “Stop the Steal” protests were organized around the country.105 “Contested States,” #StopTheSteal, (Nov. 7, 2020), available at http://archive.ph/C9lwN (archived). The Proud Boys participated alongside other right-wing extremist groups in some of them, including a November 7, 2020, protest outside of the Pennsylvania State capitol in Harrisburg.106 Christopher Mathias, “After Trump’s Defeat, His Supporters Held a Heavily Armed Pity Party,” Huff Post, (Nov. 7, 2020), available at https://www.huffpost.com/entry/harrisburg-trump-rally-defeat-extremists-proud-boys-armed-militias_n_5fa756ddc5b67c3259afbc42. The two events in Washington, DC — on November 14, 2020, and the other on December 12, 2020 — proved to be especially important for the group’s evolution.
¶The daytime events on both dates passed by without violence or major unrest, but as the sun set, bouts of violence erupted,107 Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, Transcribed Interview of Robert Glover, (May 2, 2022), p. 10. driven by clashes between far-right extremist groups—chiefly the Proud Boys—and counter-protesters.108 Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, Transcribed Interview of Robert Glover, (May 2, 2022), p. 10. Among far-right extremists, the Proud Boys had the largest showing in both November and December,109 Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, Deposition of Michael Simmons, (Feb. 10, 2022), p. 71; Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, Deposition of George Douglas Smith, Jr., (Apr. 28, 2022), p. 47. with roughly 200 to 300 Proud Boys at the November 14th rally, and the same number or more in December.110 Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, Deposition of Jeremy Bertino, (Apr. 26, 2022), pp. 81-82; Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, Transcribed Interview of Robert Glover, (May 2, 2022), p. 19; Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, Transcribed Interview of Nick Quested, (Apr. 5, 2022), p. 26. As discussed in Chapter 8, they mustered about the same contingent for the attack on the U.S. Capitol.
¶The gathering on November 14th provided a chance for Tarrio to socialize with rally leaders and far-right celebrities. In fact, his travel to DC by private jet appears to have been paid for by Patrick Byrne, a businessman who had President Trump’s ear in the last weeks of his presidency and encouraged the President to authorize the seizure of voting machines in a December 18th meeting.111 Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, Transcribed Interview of Patrick Byrne, (July 15, 2022), pp. 151-52. Tarrio’s testimony and photographs from the day show that he met with “Stop the Steal” organizer Ali Alexander that evening, and the pair toasted each other.112 Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, Deposition of Henry Tarrio, (Feb. 4, 2022), pp. 107-09; Luke O’Brien, “How Republican Politics (And Twitter) Created Ali Alexander, The Man Behind ‘Stop the Steal’,” Huff Post, (Mar. 7, 2021), available at https://www.huffpost.com/entry/republicans-twitter-ali-alexander-stop-the-steal_n_6026fb26c5b6f88289fbab57. Tarrio described the event as a “historic” meeting of Trump supporters and celebrated the opportunity to share that platform with Alexander, Jones, and Jones’ InfoWars co-host, Owen Shroyer.113 Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, Deposition of Henry Tarrio, (Feb. 4, 2022), pp. 107-09. Shroyer would later be charged with crimes committed during the January 6th attack.114 Criminal Complaint, United States v. Shroyer, No. 1:21-mj-572 (D.D.C. Aug. 19, 2021), ECF No. 1, available at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/case-multi-defendant/file/1428181/download.
¶A month later, the Proud Boys returned to the Nation’s capital. On the evening of December 11th, hundreds of Proud Boys and friends gathered in downtown Washington, DC to listen to an impromptu bullhorn speech by Tarrio and Nordean, along with Roger Stone and Shroyer.115 Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, Transcribed Interview of Nick Quested, (Apr. 5, 2022), pp. 17-19; Ryan Goodman, Justin Hendrix, Just Security, “Exclusive: New Video of Roger Stone with Proud Boys Leaders Who May Have Planned for Capitol Attack,” (Feb. 6, 2021), available at https://www.justsecurity.org/74579/exclusive-new-video-of-roger-stone-with-proud-boys-leaders-who-may-have-planned-for-capitol-attack/. Stone implored the crowd to “fight to the bitter end.”116 Ryan Goodman & Justin Hendrix, “EXCLUSIVE: New Video of Roger Stone with Proud Boys Leaders Who May Have Planned for Capitol Attack,” Just Security, (Feb. 6, 2021), available at https://www.justsecurity.org/74579/exclusive-new-video-of-roger-stone-with-proud-boys-leaders-who-may-have-planned-for-capitol-attack/.
¶The next day, as the Proud Boys marched in force on the streets, Tarrio teased in a social media post that he had a meeting in the White House.117 Will Carless, “How a Trump Booster Group Helped the Head of Extremist Proud Boys Gain Access to the White House,” USA Today, (Dec. 19, 2020), available at https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/12/19/latinos-trump-group-tied-proud-boys-leader-enrique-tarrio/3931868001/. The visit, which was only a public White House tour, appears to have been facilitated by a friend, Bianca Gracia, the head of Latinos for Trump.118 Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, Deposition of Henry Tarrio, (Feb. 4, 2022), p. 117. As the rallies concluded the next day, the Proud Boys took to the streets again. Two key events occurred that evening.
¶First, members of the Proud Boys tore down a Black Lives Matter banner from a historically Black church in downtown Washington, DC.119 Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, Deposition of Jeremy Bertino, (Apr. 26, 2022), pp. 125-27; Affidavit in Support of Arrest Warrant, United States v. Tarrio, No. 2020 CRWSLD 5553, (D.C. Super. Ct. Dec. 30, 2020). They filmed themselves burning it.120 Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, Deposition of Jeremy Bertino, (Apr. 26, 2022), p. 127. Tarrio was eventually charged with destruction of property.121 Affidavit in Support of Arrest Warrant, United States v. Tarrio, No. 2020 CRWSLD 5553, (D.C. Super. Ct. Dec. 30, 2020). He was arrested on January 4, 2021, and banned from Washington, DC, barring him from joining the group at the Capitol.122 Peter Herman and Martin Weil, “Proud Boys Leader Arrested in the Burning of Church’s Black Lives Matter Banner, D.C. Police Say,” Washington Post, (Jan. 4, 2021), available at https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/proud-boys-enrique-tarrio-arrest/2021/01/04/8642a76a-4edf-11eb-b96e-0e54447b23a1_story.html; Laura Wamsley, “Proud Boys Leader Released from Police Custody and Ordered to Leave D.C.,” NPR, (Jan. 5, 2021), available at https://www.npr.org/2021/01/05/953685035/proud-boys-leader-released-from-police-custody-and-ordered-to-leave-d-c. As explained in Chapter 8, however, Tarrio’s arrest did not stop him from conspiring with his men on January 6th.
510¶Minutes after the flag burning, a man wearing black clothes walked into a crowd of Proud Boys.123 Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, Transcribed Interview of Robert Glover, (May 2, 2022), p. 16. Assuming he was associated with Antifa, they began pushing and harassing him, and he drew a knife in response.124 Elizabeth Elizalde, “Proud Boys Surround Man with Knife at Violent DC Trump Rally,” New York Post, (Dec. 13, 2020), available at https://nypost.com/2020/12/13/one-person-stabbed-during-massive-proud-boys-brawl-in-dc/. In the ensuing melee, four Proud Boys suffered stab wounds, including Bertino, a confidant to Tarrio.125 Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, Deposition of Jeremy Bertino, (Apr. 26, 2022), pp. 128-29. Bertino’s wounds were severe and life-threatening, preventing him from joining the group on January 6th.126 Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, Deposition of Jeremy Bertino, (Apr. 26, 2022), p. 129.
Storming the Winter Palace
¶The Proud Boys began to reorient and formalize their operations to focus on January 6th after President Trump’s December 19th tweet. Inspired, in part, by Bertino’s stabbing, the Proud Boys centered their new hierarchy in group chats that used terms such as “Ministry of Self Defense” (MOSD).127 Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, Deposition of Jeremy Bertino, (Apr. 26, 2022), pp. 130-131. However, the words “Self Defense” were misleading: Enrique Tarrio and others would soon go on the offense. And the MOSD served as their organizational scaffolding for the January 6, 2021, attack.
¶On December 20, 2020, Tarrio established a “national rally planning committee” and created an encrypted MOSD chat to organize their activities.128 Second Superseding Indictment at ¶ 30, United States v. Nordean, et al., No. 1:21-cr-175 (D.D.C. Mar. 7, 2022), ECF No. 305. Tarrio added Proud Boys leaders from across the country, including several who played lead roles in the violence on January 6th.129 Second Superseding Indictment at ¶ 32, United States v. Nordean, et al., No. 1:21-cr-175 (D.D.C. Mar. 7, 2022), ECF No. 305; see also Documents on file with the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol (Jay Thaxton Production), CTRL0000055644, (December 27-28, 2020, “Ministry of Self Defense,” Telegram messages from 7:43 p.m.-1:53 a.m.). In the ensuing weeks, the Proud Boys traded equipment recommendations, shared maps marked with law enforcement positions, and established command and control structures.130 See, Documents on file with the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol (Jay Thaxton Production), CTRL0000055644, (December 27-28, 2020, “Ministry of Self Defense,” Telegram messages from 7:43 p.m.-1:53 a.m.). A separate encrypted chat, named “Boots on the Ground,” was established for foot soldiers who would be in Washington, DC on January 6th.131 Second Superseding Indictment at ¶ 55, United States v. Nordean, et al., No. 1:21-cr-175 (D.D.C. Mar. 7, 2022), ECF No. 305.
¶The Proud Boys’ planning for January 6th was a significant step in the group’s evolution. Previously, they were loosely organized. The MOSD was created to enforce a “top down structure” with a defined leadership.132 Third Superseding Indictment at ¶ 38, United States v. Nordean, et al., No. 1:21-cr-175 (D.D.C. June 6, 2022), ECF No. 380; Documents on file with the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol (Jay Thaxton Production), CTRL0000055644, (December 27-28, 2020, “Ministry of Self Defense,” Telegram messages from 7:43 p.m.-1:53 a.m.). Tarrio stressed the command structure by telling members that they needed to “[f]it in [] or fuck off.”133 Second Superseding Indictment at ¶ 33, United States v. Nordean, et al., No. 1:21-cr-175 (D.D.C. Mar. 7, 2022), ECF No. 305.
¶From the start, it was clear that MOSD chat members were intensely interested in disrupting the electoral count on January 6th. On December 20, 2020, one MOSD leader stated, “I assume most of the protest will be at the capital [sic] building given what’s going on inside.”134 Second Superseding Indictment at ¶ 31, United States v. Nordean, et al., No. 1:21-cr-175 (D.D.C Mar. 7, 2022), ECF No. 305; see also Carter Walker, “Carlisle Proud Boy Member Targeted in Search Warrant Tied to Jan. 6 Plot,” Lancaster Online (Mar. 12, 2022), available at https://lancasteronline.com/news/politics/carlisle-proud-boy-member-targeted-in-search-warrant-tied-to-jan-6-plot/article_c2596928-a258-11ec-a6bb-c79ff2e0e8a7.html (identifying John Stewart as Person-3 in Second Superseding Indictment). On December 29, 2020, in a group message to the MOSD, a member wrote, “I know most of the events will be centered around freedom plaza.” Tarrio responded, “Negative. They’re centered around the Capitol.”135 Documents on file with the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, (Jay Thaxton Production), CTRL0000055644, (December 29, 2020, “Ministry of Self Defense,” Telegram message at 11:09 a.m.).
511¶On December 30, 2020, Tarrio received an intriguing document titled, “1776 Returns.”136 Second Superseding Indictment at ¶ 41, United States v. Nordean, et al., No. 1:21-cr-175 (D.D.C. Mar. 7, 2022) ECF No. 305. The document was apparently sent to him by cryptocurrency investors in South Florida.137 Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, Transcribed Interview of Samuel Armes, (July 18, 2022), p. 10-14 (describing Armes’ role in drafting a prior version of the document, which he then shared with Eryka Gemma Flores, another cryptocurrency investor who shared the document with Tarrio); Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, Informal Interview of Eryka Gemma Flores, (July 1, 2022). The file’s author(s) divided their plan into five parts, “Infiltrate, Execution, Distract, Occupy and Sit-In,” with the goal of overrunning several Federal buildings around the U.S. Capitol. The plan specifically mentioned House and Senate office buildings, setting forth steps for occupying them. The author(s) called for “the masses to rush the building[s],” distract law enforcement in the area by pulling fire alarms around the city, target specific Senators’ offices, and disguise participants’ identities with COVID masks.138 Zachary Rehl’s Motion to Reopen Detention Hearing and Request for a Hearing, Exhibit 1: “1776 Returns,” United States v. Nordean, et al., No. 1:21-cr-175 (D.D.C. June 15, 2022) ECF No. 401-1, available at https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/22060615/1776-returns.pdf.
¶One proposal mentioned in the document is titled, “Storm the Winter Palace.”139 Zachary Rehl’s Motion to Reopen Detention Hearing and Request for a Hearing, Exhibit 1: “1776 Returns,” United States v. Nordean, et al., No. 1:21-cr-175 (D.D.C. June 15, 2022) ECF No. 401-1, available at https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/22060615/1776-returns.pdf. This is a reference to a dramatic reenactment of the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution, during which Vladimir Lenin ordered his forces to take over the Romanovs’ residence in Petrograd. The “Winter Palace” was the seat of the provisional government, which had held out against the Bolshevik revolutionaries. The Proud Boys would frame their actions on January 6th as part of the American Revolution. But the “1776 Returns” document shows their inspiration came at least in part from the Communist Revolution, which led to 70-plus years of totalitarian rule. No historical event has been less American.
¶The Proud Boys did not adopt the “1776 Returns” plan in full. Several Proud Boys testified that they were unaware of the document before it became public.140 Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, Deposition of Matthew Thomas Walter, (Mar. 9, 2022), pp. 70-71; Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, Deposition of Christopher Barcenas, (Mar. 10, 2022), p. 98; Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, Deposition of George Meza, (Mar. 16, 2022), p. 118; Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, Deposition of Jeremy Bertino, (Apr. 26, 2022), p. 23. But the document does appear to have been significantly edited while in the Proud Boys’ hands.141 Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, Transcribed Interview of Samuel Armes, (July 18, 2022), p. 14. The person who sent it to Tarrio—his ex-girlfriend, Eryka Gemma Flores—commented, “The revolution is [more] important than anything.” To which Tarrio responded: “That’s what every waking moment consists of . . . I’m not playing games.”142 Second Superseding Indictment at ¶ 41, United States v. Nordean, et al., No. 1:21-cr-175 (D.D.C. Mar. 7, 2022), ECF No. 305.
¶On January 3rd, Tarrio posted a conspicuous question on Telegram: “What if we invade it?” The first response to his post read: “January 6th is D day [sic] in America.”143 Georgia Wells, Rebecca Ballhaus, and Keach Hagey, “Proud Boys, Seizing Trump’s Call to Washington, Helped Lead Capitol Attack,” Wall Street Journal, (Jan. 17, 2021), available at https://www.wsj.com/articles/proud-boys-seizing-trumps-call-to-washington-helped-lead-capitol-attack-11610911596. In private, on the Proud Boys’ leadership group message, planning continued. One MOSD leader, John Stewart, floated a plan that centered around “the front entrance to the Capitol building.”144 Second Superseding Indictment at ¶ 49, United States v. Nordean, et al., No. 1:21-cr-175 (D.D.C. Mar. 7, 2022), ECF No. 305; Carter Walker, “Carlisle Proud Boy Member Targeted in Search Warrant Tied to Jan. 6 Plot,” Lancaster Online (Mar. 12, 2022), available at https://lancasteronline.com/news/politics/carlisle-proud-boy-member-targeted-in-search-warrant-tied-to-jan-6-plot/article_c2596928-a258-11ec-a6bb-c79ff2e0e8a7.html (identifying John Stewart as Person-3 in Second Superseding Indictment). At 7:10 p.m. on January 3rd, Stewart wrote to the MOSD leaders:
512I mean the main operating theater should be out in front of the house of representatives. It should be out in front of the Capitol building. That’s where the vote is taking place and all of the objections. So, we can ignore the rest of these stages and all that shit and plan the operations based around the front entrance to the Capitol building. I strongly recommend you use the national mall and not Pennsylvania avenue though. It’s wide-open space, you can see everything coming from all angles.145 Second Superseding Indictment at ¶ 49, United States v. Nordean, et al., No. 1:21-cr-175 (D.D.C. Mar. 7, 2022), ECF No. 305; Carter Walker, “Carlisle Proud Boy Member Targeted in Search Warrant Tied to Jan. 6 Plot,” Lancaster Online (Mar. 12, 2022), available at https://lancasteronline.com/news/politics/carlisle-proud-boy-member-targeted-in-search-warrant-tied-to-jan-6-plot/article_c2596928-a258-11ec-a6bb-c79ff2e0e8a7.html (identifying John Stewart as Person-3 in Second Superseding Indictment).
¶Early the next morning, on January 4th, Tarrio sent a voice memo to the same group of MOSD leaders stating, “I didn’t hear this voice until now, you want to storm the Capitol.”146 Second Superseding Indictment at ¶ 50, United States v. Nordean et al., No. 1:21-cr-175 (D.D.C. Mar. 7, 2022) ECF No. 305.
¶One of Tarrio’s comrades in the Proud Boys’ leadership, Charles Donohoe—who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding and assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers147 Plea Agreement at 1, United States v. Donohoe, No. 1:21-cr-175 (D.D.C. Apr. 8, 2022), ECF No. 335.—later told authorities that by January 4th he “was aware that members of MOSD leadership were discussing the possibility of storming the Capitol.”148 Statement of Offense at 4, United States v. Donohoe, No. 1:21-cr-00175-4-TJK (D.D.C. Apr. 8, 2022). Donohoe “believed that storming the Capitol would achieve the group’s goal of stopping the government from carrying out the transfer of presidential power” and “understood that storming the Capitol would be illegal.”149 Statement of Offense at 4, United States v. Donohoe, No. 1:21-cr-00175-4-TJK (D.D.C. Apr. 8, 2022). By the following evening, January 5th, Tarrio was discussing with other Proud Boy leaders a “tactical plan” for the following day. Their “objective” was “to obstruct, impede, or interfere with the certification of the Electoral College vote.”150 Statement of Offense at 6, United States v. Donohoe, No. 1:21-cr-00175-4-TJK (D.D.C. Apr. 8, 2022). Moreover, Donohoe understood that the Proud Boys “would pursue this through the use of force and violence, in order to show Congress that ‘we the people’ were in charge.”151 Statement of Offense at 6, United States v. Donohoe, No. 1:21-cr-00175-4-TJK (D.D.C. Apr. 8, 2022). On January 6th, Charles Donohoe understood that two of his fellow Proud Boys’ leaders — Ethan Nordean and Joe Biggs — “were searching for an opportunity to storm the Capitol.”152 Statement of Offense at 8, United States v. Donohoe, No. 1:21-cr-00175-4-TJK (D.D.C. Apr. 8, 2022).
¶Jeremy Bertino, the Proud Boys leader who was stabbed on the night of December 12th, later told authorities that his fellow extremists plotted to stop the peaceful transfer of power. In October 2022, Bertino pleaded guilty to “seditious conspiracy” and other crimes.153 “Former Leader of Proud Boys Pleads Guilty to Seditious Conspiracy for Efforts to Stop Transfer of Power Following 2020 Presidential Election,” Department of Justice, (Oct. 6, 2022), available at http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/former-leader-proud-boys-pleads-guilty-seditious-conspiracy-efforts-stop-transfer-power. Bertino admitted that the Proud Boys traveled to Washington, DC on January 6, 2021, “to stop the certification of the Electoral College Vote.” They “were willing to do whatever it would take, including using force against police and others, to achieve that objective.”154 “Former Leader of Proud Boys Pleads Guilty to Seditious Conspiracy for Efforts to Stop Transfer of Power Following 2020 Presidential Election,” Department of Justice, (Oct. 22, 2022), available at https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/former-leader-proud-boys-pleads-guilty-seditious-conspiracy-efforts-stop-transfer-power.
¶In testimony before the Select Committee, Bertino recalled a telling text exchange with Tarrio on the evening of January 6th. “I was like, ‘holy shit,’ or something like that I said to him,” Bertino recalled. “And I was like, ‘I can’t believe this is happening,’ or something like that, and ‘1776.’ ”155 Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, Deposition of Jeremy Bertino, (Apr. 26, 2022), p. 156.
¶Tarrio replied to Bertino: “Winter Palace.”156 Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, Deposition of Jeremy Bertino, (Apr. 26, 2022), p. 156.