Proud Boys, Enrique Tarrio Found Guilty of Seditious Conspiracy
Things just got a lot worse for Donald Trump.
Proud Boys’ Enrique Tarrio, others guilty of seditious conspiracy
Donald has given us a command. —Proud Boys
Washington — Enrique Tarrio, the one-time president of the anti-feminist, white supremacist, far-right militant group Proud Boys, and three of his subordinates, were found guilty today of multiple felonies, including obstructing an official proceeding; obstructing Congress; conspiracy to prevent an officer from discharging duties; obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder; and aiding and abetting and destruction of government property.
Most seriously, Tarrio—along with Ethan Nordean, Zachary Rehl and Joseph Biggs—were convicted of conspiring to prevent the peaceful transfer of power from Donald Trump to Joe Biden and using force and prior planning to hinder the 2020 presidential election certification.
That’s seditious conspiracy. It carries penalties of up to $10,000 in fines and up to 20 years in prison.
More than 100 of the Proud Boys gathered at the Washington Monument on January 6 and from there marched to the Capitol, where they became part of the violent siege of the Capitol’s congressional halls—a siege that caused or contributed to the deaths of nine people. Roughly 150 Capitol Police, Metropolitan Police Department officers, and law enforcement from other local agencies sustained injuries, and authorities estimate hundreds of government workers were traumatized by the attack.
Enrique Tarrio, jailed two days earlier on another charge, was not physically present during the siege, but prosecutors knew he was aware of it and in contact with—and probably directing—the Proud Boys on the ground. After the mob took over the Capitol building, Enrique Tarrio sent a social media message that read:
Make no mistake, we did this.
The verdict presents a major danger to former President Donald Trump, who refused to condemn the Proud Boys as well as other white supremacist groups. As MSNBC reports, Donald Trump was seen as inciting the Proud Boys’ violent actions.
Recall the first presidential debate in 2020, when Trump famously told the Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by.” The effect of that callout to the militants became visible to the nation on Jan. 6… At trial, the government introduced a message from one Proud Boy who wrote right after the debate that “Donald has given us a command.” Prosecutors also introduced the group’s messages suggesting that some coordination with the White House may have occurred before Jan. 6.
There is no word yet as to sentencing. PolitiSage will provide updates.
Developing.