A nine-page document outlining plans to occupy a number of congressional buildings connected to the U.S. Capitol and the Supreme Court on Jan. 6, 2021, and to communicate demands for a new election, were released in court on Wednesday.
Tarrio was not in Washington on Jan. 6 after being ordered by a judge to stay out of the nation’s capital after burning a Black Lives Matter banner at a demonstration a month prior.
He and four other members were indicted on seditious conspiracy charges earlier this month in connection with their alleged roles in the storming of the Capitol last year while Congress was certifying the 2020 electoral votes.
The former leader and two members of the group—Joseph Biggs and Dominic Pezzola—pleaded not guilty to those charges on June 9. Two other defendants—Ethan Nordean and Zachary Rehl—were not present for the hearing but both are expected to be arraigned sometime in the near future.
A lawyer for Rehl, who is seeking release from pretrial detention, included the document in the recently-filed motion. The motion states that the defendant had “no knowledge of the document.”
Specifically, the document outlines a goal to “fill the buildings with patriots and communicate our demands,” and to “maintain control over a select few, but crucial buildings in the DC area for a set period of time, presenting our demands in unity.”
“We need [as] many people as possible inside these buildings,” the document reads. “These are OUR buildings, they are just renting space. We must show our politicians we the people are in charge.”
A number of “targeted buildings” are then listed: the Supreme Court, the Russell Senate Office Building, the Dirksen Senate Office Building, the Hart Senate Office Building, the Cannon House Office Building, the Longworth House Office Building, the Rayburn House Office Building, and CNN.
Under a section titled “Manpower Needs,” the document lays out five different roles: a lead, which is a “covert sleeper, sets up fake appointment — is expected to spend the day as our insider and let people inside the building;” a second which “takes the place of the lead in case of being discovered;” a hypeman which “leads chants, must maintain energy / presence;” a recruiter who is “in charge of getting patriots for starting point for each building, share the ‘patriot plan’ document, spread the word;” and patriots who “maintain a presence while handing out ‘patriot plan.’”
In a section marked “preparation” the document states that “scouts” will drive around buildings and areas before daylight to “check on any roadblocks and update plans accordingly.”
A second section titled “infiltrate” states that “leads and seconds stay in the building until called upon execution time” while the entrances and exit points are scoped out. “If possible, be in the building first thing in the morning. Be dressed in suits and be unsuspecting, do not look tactical at all,” the document states.
So-called “recruiters” would also be out in the streets distributing printed and digital copies of the “patriot plan,” according to the document.
“Ensure crowd outside is full and ready to go,” the document states. “Have leads and seconds open the doors for the crowds to enter. This might include causing trouble near the front doors to distract guards who may be holding the doors off. It could also mean pulling the fire alarm, which requires exits to be opened. The goal is to ensure there is an entry point for the masses to rush the building.”
The demands outlined in the memo included “liberty or death,” “No Trump, No America,” and “free and fair elections,” with the document noting that the evidence of election fraud is “overwhelming” and calling for a new election to be conducted on Jan. 20.
That new election would involve “paper ballots only, no mail in ballots, no absentee ballots,” with the National Guard monitoring the process.
At no point does the document specifically reference storming the U.S Capitol or attacking law enforcement officials, members of Congress or other staff at the Capitol. No mention of violence is made.
The document ends with a “special mention” of House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), then-Vice President Mike Pence, and billionaire tech giant Bill Gates, stating, “We the People are watching you.”
The Justice Department has filed criminal charges against at least 825 defendants in connection with the Jan. 6 Capitol breach.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives panel that is investigating the incident has been revealing its findings in televised public hearings.
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