Wired reports:
Election deniers are now advocating for a far-right sheriff’s group called the Constitutional Sheriffs to recruit an army of like-minded citizens to patrol polling stations and stop the “expected flood” of “illegal” immigrant voters. Constitutional Sheriffs are a group of elected sheriffs around the country who believe that they hold the ultimate power in their county, and are not answerable to any federal or state authority.
“[Immigrants] have already disrupted the election because they are getting registered to vote,” Richard Mack, a former sheriff who is the founder of the far–right Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association (CSPOA), tells WIRED. Mack spoke at the CSPOA conference in Las Vegas on Wednesday, where over 100 attendees listened to speaker after speaker on stage push the debunked claim that immigrants voting for President Joe Biden posed the greatest threat to the integrity of the presidential election.
Read the full article. There’s so much more. The event was live-streamed on Mike Lindell’s platform with Mike Flynn “leading the charge” for action by militias. Give the tweets below a moment to fully load to flesh out this insane story. Steve Bannon also spoke via video.
At a Constitutional Sheriffs’ event this week, they — and figures like Mike Flynn, Mike Lindell, Patrick Byrne and others — laid out their plans to counter the “flood of illegal immigrants” voting in November’s election with militias & citizen armieshttps://t.co/Jn3oxohRG3 pic.twitter.com/2TrfDfwDF3
— David Gilbert (@daithaigilbert) April 18, 2024
At #CSPOAVegas, Richard Mack goes off on the far-right Republic vs Democracy lie fused with election denialism – “We want to turn back, and make America the Constitutional Republic she was meant to be.” pic.twitter.com/rJbulku2UM
— Devin Burghart (@dburghart) April 17, 2024
On today’s CSPOA Posse webinar, Jack Mullin declared that the FBI was behind the attack on the World Trade Center and that “the FBI is just a terrorist organization, without any question.”
Richard Mack’s reply, “Yeah, they are. Yeah.”
Do Idaho Sheriffs agree? pic.twitter.com/pNgv8yEiVL
— Devin Burghart (@dburghart) April 11, 2024
As the big Election Denial / QAnon / White Nationalist / “Constitutional Sheriff” CSPOA gathering is about to kick off in Las Vegas, I think you’ll be surprised what organizer Richard Mack claims inspired the event.
Watch for the answer: pic.twitter.com/ImoIhLvod9
— Devin Burghart (@dburghart) April 17, 2024
At #CSPOAVegas, Richard Mack is now repeating his despicable use of a quote from MLK. pic.twitter.com/SqkrawbbHz
— Devin Burghart (@dburghart) April 18, 2024
Just moments ago at #CSPOAVegas, founder Richard Mack singled out just two people for praise, “MyPillow” Mike Lindell, and “COVID is a BioWeapon” Richard Fleming. pic.twitter.com/nXFtFAP1MP
— Devin Burghart (@dburghart) April 17, 2024
At #CSPOAVegas, New Mexico Sheriff Hamilton invokes Posse Comitatus as his justification for allowing the shirking of COVID health restrictions.
(Remember CSPOA’s Richard Mack has claimed there’s no connection between his efforts and Posse Comitatus). pic.twitter.com/ysjeLl5F22
— Devin Burghart (@dburghart) April 17, 2024
CSPOA’s Richard Mack is a former Oath Keepers board member. Leaders of Oath Keepers were convicted of seditious conspiracy for their role in the Jan 6, 2021 insurrection. CSPOA leaders maintained ties to Oath Keepers before and after that day. https://t.co/fJFH3TnPQO
— IREHR (@IREHR) April 17, 2024
In 2021, CSPOA leader Richard Mack toured the country, spreading COVID-19 misinformation with an antisemite who had promoted Holocaust denial and called for jailing Jews not sufficiently “loyal to the Republic.” https://t.co/zUJoBHR783
— IREHR (@IREHR) April 17, 2024
First “media” question at #CSPOAVegas press conference is from Casey Whalen, a leader in Ammon Bundy’s far-right People’s Rights network. Asks about what to do about @IREHR “targeting” of CSPOA. pic.twitter.com/aXhgXzz6ln
— Devin Burghart (@dburghart) April 18, 2024
@IREHR Press Statement: Today’s CSPOA event included the Great Replacement theory, calls for militia and sheriff unification, J6 insurrectionists, antisemitic tropes, convicted fraudsters, claims about the Lahaina fire started by “microwave weapons” and COVID as a Bioweapon.
— Devin Burghart (@dburghart) April 18, 2024
At #CSPOAVegas, Patrick “I dated a Russian spy” Byrne stoked anti-immigrant fear about “15 million military-aged males” and called for the formation of militia cells linked to Constitutional Sheriffs, with the help of Green Berets. pic.twitter.com/rNgJUi0DWR
— Devin Burghart (@dburghart) April 18, 2024
Curious about the sponsors for the far-right confab, #CSPOAVegas? Here’s the list. pic.twitter.com/aEQb3J4eAB
— Devin Burghart (@dburghart) April 17, 2024