Organizer of Saturday rally looks to rewrite Jan. 6 history

3 years ago 260

WASHINGTON – The designer of a Washington protestation planned for Saturday that aims to rewrite past astir the convulsive January battle connected the U.S. Capitol is hardly a household name.

Matt Braynard worked arsenic an expert for the Republican Party, crunched information for a tiny predetermination steadfast and aboriginal started a consulting concern that attracted fewer national clients, records show. He started a nonprofit aft helium was dismissed by Donald Trump’s 2016 run pursuing respective months connected the job, but struggled to rise money. The group's tax-exempt presumption was revoked past year.

But Braynard's fortunes changed abruptly aft Trump’s 2020 predetermination loss. He joined an aggrieved radical of Trump allies seeking to overturn the predetermination — and successful the process reaped recognition, lucrative fees and a fundraising windfall that enabled him to rekindle his nonprofit.

Now, Braynard and his group, Look Ahead America, are utilizing his newfound level and resources to contiguous an alternate past of the Jan. 6 onslaught that was meant to halt Congress from certifying Joe Biden's victory, rebranding those who were charged arsenic “political prisoners.”

Although galore members of Congress, including those who are allied with Braynard’s cause, person been mum connected whether they volition be Saturday's protest, the lawsuit has enactment instrumentality enforcement connected edge, led to stepped-up information measures and created worries that members of the aforesaid extremist groups that were contiguous connected Jan 6. could besides beryllium successful attendance.

How overmuch of a gully his “Justice for J6” rally ends up being volition trial the scope and potency of the emerging far-right movement, arsenic good arsenic the grade of Braynard's ain reach.

Braynard, who is successful his 40s, did not respond to a petition for remark for this story. The Associated Press earlier declined to judge his information that an interrogation of him beryllium broadcast live.

But a reappraisal of tribunal records, run concern disclosures and societal media postings, arsenic good arsenic Braynard's past interviews with journalists that helium has posted online, papers his efforts to physique his power implicit the past year, culminating successful Saturday’s event.

“At nary constituent volition I cancel this rally,” Braynard told WTOP vigor successful Washington. “This is happening adjacent if I’m determination by myself with a megaphone.”

The seeds of the rally were planted the time aft the 2020 predetermination arsenic Trump made mendacious claims of wide elector fraud, which were aboriginal rejected by galore courts, predetermination officials and his ain attorney wide astatine the time, William Barr.

Braynard suggested connected Twitter that determination could person been fraud successful the election, portion promoting an online fundraiser helium created to defray the outgo of analyzing voting information successful states wherever the Trump run insisted it was winning.

He told BuzzFeed News successful a summertime interrogation that helium brought immoderate aboriginal findings to the attraction of the Trump campaign. The campaign, which had declined to rehire him earlier successful the 2020 run arsenic a low-level tract staffer, initially agreed to perceive him out. But aft helium arrived astatine run headquarters, run officials changed their minds, helium said.

“I stood connected the sidewalk for an hr portion they fought wrong astir whether oregon not to fto maine in,” helium said. “Ultimately, I was told I would not beryllium fto successful and I went home.”

His online fundraising, however, took off. After the crowdfunding tract GoFundMe.com took down an aboriginal effort, citing misleading information, Braynard migrated to an blimpish affable tract and rapidly took successful implicit $675,000.

A consequent study helium wrote connected his findings — which 1 adept excoriated arsenic “riddled with errors” and violating "basic standards for technological evidence" — was embraced by Trump's allies and served arsenic an evidentiary cornerstone successful galore tribunal cases that were aboriginal dismissed.

His information besides earned him astatine slightest $230,000 successful consulting fees, tribunal records show.

Since then, Braynard has utilized the influx of resources to revive Look Ahead America and reapply for tax-exempt status, which has yet to beryllium approved, according to an IRS database. The radical present lists 11 staffers connected its website.

The Jan. 6 onslaught rapidly became an organizing rule for Braynard's efforts.

His archetypal station aft creating an relationship connected the conservative-friendly societal media tract Telegram came days aft the onslaught and featured a representation of the 1933 occurrence astatine Germany’s parliament building, the Reichstag, which the Nazi enactment utilized arsenic a pretext to prehend power. Braynard's caption: “The existent coup is being conducted by Silicon Valley close now,” a notation to a wide ailment by conservatives that they are being silenced connected societal media.

Since then, he's shared a nexus to a fundraiser for Ethan Nordean, a subordinate of the Proud Boys extremist group, who was charged successful the attack. "If you don’t stock this station I don’t ever privation to perceive y’all accidental you’re warring backmost against this oppressive government," helium wrote.

Look Ahead America besides tweeted from its relationship past February that the radical would beryllium contiguous astatine the America First Political Action Conference successful Orlando, which was a one-day lawsuit hosted by Nick Fuentes, a far-right net property who has promoted achromatic supremacist beliefs.

But Braynard has besides sought to marque inroads with much mainstream conservatives.

Look Ahead America was a sponsor astatine this year's Conservative Political Action Conference, a gathering that typically draws Republican statesmanlike contenders. The radical garnered sizeable attraction for a ample aureate statue of a “surfer” Trump, implicit with red, achromatic and bluish shorts, that was portion of their booth.

But they person besides done things to irk organizers of the conference.

After Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has repeatedly trafficked successful conspiracy theories and endorsed unit against Democrats, wasn't recognized astatine the event, Look Ahead America claimed recognition for "uncancelling” her by giving her a speaking slot astatine 1 of their broadside events.

At a consequent CPAC lawsuit successful Texas successful July, Look Ahead America billed a code astatine a broadside lawsuit by Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz arsenic an “official” CPAC event. Gaetz is simply a pro-Trump provocateur under national probe for enactment trafficking allegations; helium has denied wrongdoing.

After CPAC organizers released a connection saying Look Ahead America's Gaetz lawsuit wasn't portion of the authoritative programming, Braynard tweeted that was a “100% Lie” due to the fact that “the room/event was portion of our sponsor package.”

He has erstwhile again thrust himself into the spotlight, this clip with Saturday's rally, and has repeatedly downplayed the anticipation of unit there.

Trump has not endorsed the rally but did merchandise a connection Thursday claiming radical charged successful the Jan. 6 onslaught are “being persecuted truthful unfairly.”

Still, galore Republicans look to beryllium keeping their distance.

So far, Braynard has announced lone a fistful of impermanent speakers, including a lawsuit of his who is moving against a sitting GOP subordinate of Congress who voted to impeach Trump. And the licence granted for the rally allows it to beryllium nary larger than 700 people, according to a idiosyncratic who was briefed connected the substance but spoke connected information of anonymity to sermon confidential details.

Even ardent pro-Trump lawmakers successful Congress person downplayed the event, oregon sidestepped talking astir it.

“I don’t cognize what it is,” Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said erstwhile asked astir the event.

Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, who on with Cruz led the Jan. 6 objections to Biden’s certification, besides dismissed the idea.

“I’m not going,” Hawley said. “I’m not pursuing it astatine all.”

Sen. Ron Johnson, a Wisconsin Republican, has voiced sympathy for those charged successful transportation with the Jan. 6 attack. But Johnson, who said helium would not beryllium attending Saturday's event, offered immoderate proposal to those who are.

“Don’t interruption immoderate laws whatsoever.”

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Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick successful Washington contributed to this report.

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