Restaurant owner's Capitol riot arrest rattles hometown

3 years ago 395

KANE, Pa. – A crank caller ordered an “insurrection pizza” from Pauline Bauer’s restaurant. A profane portion of hatred message addressed her arsenic a home terrorist. She adjacent became a punchline for Stephen Colbert’s late-night speech amusement connected CBS.

A swift backlash greeted Capitol riot suspects similar Bauer erstwhile they returned to their homes crossed the U.S. aft joining the mob that stormed past constabulary barricades, smashed windows and disrupted the certification of President Joe Biden’s triumph connected Jan. 6. Relatives, friends oregon co-workers reported scores of them to the FBI. Some mislaid jobs. Others mislaid their freedom, jailed awaiting trials.

In Bauer's hometown successful agrarian Pennsylvania, her apprehension and that of a longtime person person rekindled partisan bickering, much often connected societal media than connected thoroughfare corners, immoderate residents say. As Bauer and William Blauser Jr. combat the charges successful court, galore successful the municipality of Kane person struggled to comprehend however 2 of their neighbors could beryllium among the hundreds of Trump loyalists bent connected overturning the predetermination that day.

“I deliberation it was wholly outrageous, it was amerciable and I deliberation it was treasonous,” said Joe Lanich, who operates a letterpress people store with his woman called The Laughing Owl Press Co. successful Kane’s uptown concern district. He said the municipality is populated by arrogant residents who enactment hard to amended Kane and “don’t privation to spot 1 idiosyncratic overgarment america successful a atrocious light."

Bauer tries to motion disconnected the scorn from strangers, but acknowledges her actions person angered immoderate successful her community.

“Some radical didn’t similar the information that I became political,” she said during a interruption successful meal work astatine her restaurant, Bob's Trading Post.

In the months since Jan. 6, erstwhile President Donald Trump and his supporters person sought to represent the rioters arsenic peaceful patriots adjacent arsenic videos from that time amusement members of the mob beating constabulary officers and hunting for lawmakers successful an unthinkable onslaught connected the spot of American democracy. On Tuesday, officers who defended the Capitol that time described to a legislature committee investigating the insurrection however they feared for their lives and proceed to endure carnal and affectional pain.

Bauer was heard shouting astatine constabulary to “bring Nancy Pelosi out” to beryllium hanged during the riot, the FBI says. Five radical died successful the onslaught oregon its aftermath, and dozens of instrumentality enforcement officers were injured. More than 500 radical person been charged with national crimes.

Even so, immoderate successful Kane person stood by Bauer, who insists her actions haven’t outgo her immoderate friendships oregon harmed her business. On a caller Wednesday evening, tables astatine her edifice were filled by her regular customers.

“She’s a quality being who stood up for her rights. She should person a close to basal up for what she believes in,” said Glenn Robinson, 68.

Such governmental part implicit however Jan. 6 unfolded has occurred successful communities crossed the country. Forty-seven percent of Republicans accidental it tin beryllium described arsenic a “legitimate protest,” portion lone 13% of Democrats accidental the same, according to a June canvass from Monmouth University.

A caller canvass from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that 81% of Democrats accidental it’s “extremely” oregon “very” important that investigations proceed into what happened during the Capitol breach, but conscionable 38% of Republicans accidental the same.

Bauer was arrested successful May on with Blauser, a Vietnam War seasoned and retired message carrier. Surveillance video shows the 2 of them entering the Capitol done an eastbound Rotunda doorway wherever astatine slightest 3 constabulary officers were trying to artifact entry. Video from a constabulary officer’s assemblage camera captured Bauer saying to bring retired Pelosi, the Democratic talker of the House.

“Bring them retired now. They’re criminals. They request to hang,” she said.

Trump received astir three-quarters of the votes successful the 2020 predetermination successful the region that incudes Kane, a borough successful northwest Pennsylvania with astir 3,500 residents, implicit 97% of whom are white. Many homes and businesses successful municipality are inactive decorated with Trump signs and flags. A warehouse adorned with pro-Trump posters besides has 1 that reads “Burn Loot Murder,” a derisive notation to the Black Lives Matter movement.

Road signs measure Kane arsenic “A Star successful the Forest” and arsenic the hometown of the precocious NBA hoops manager Chuck Daly. The municipality besides is known arsenic the “Icebox of Pennsylvania” for its frigid, snowy winters.

Before the riot, astir Kane residents knew Bauer for the deep-dish pizza and crystal pick she has been serving since she bought the edifice 15 years ago. That began to alteration arsenic the coronavirus pandemic temporarily closed her concern on with galore others successful the tiny municipality connected the borderline of the 517,000-acre Allegheny National Forest.

She became an outspoken professional of COVID-19 lockdown measures that outgo her concern and drove a wedge betwixt neighbors who clashed connected societal media. She complained astir a disguise mandate during a schoolhouse committee gathering 2 weeks earlier her arrest, The Kane Republican paper reported.

Last year, arsenic her concern suffered, Bauer besides began to clasp an ideology that appears to comport with the “sovereign citizens” extremist movement’s content that the U.S. authorities is illegitimate. Bauer says she is simply a “sovereign people,” not a sovereign citizen, and refers to herself arsenic “Pauline from the House of Bauer.”

Bauer has been combative with the justice presiding implicit her lawsuit and claimed the tribunal has nary authorization implicit her. She was jailed for 1 nighttime successful June aft she refused to reply a magistrate judge's regular questions. During a caller hearing, she told U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden that she doesn’t privation an lawyer to correspond her “or immoderate lawyering from the bench.”

“I bash not admit your barroom card, sir,” she told McFadden, who appointed a lawyer to enactment arsenic her standby counsel.

She besides told the justice that she wouldn’t let a pretrial services serviceman to inspect her home, successful idiosyncratic oregon virtually. The justice warned her that she could beryllium jailed again if she refused to comply. He besides denied her petition to disregard her charges, which see obstruction of an authoritative proceeding and disorderly and disruptive behaviour successful a restricted gathering oregon grounds.

“On what terms?” she asked.

“You cognize what? You don’t get to request presumption from me,” the justice replied.

After the hearing, Blauser and Bauer hugged each different extracurricular the Washington courthouse. Two days later, Blauser and his woman stopped by Bauer’s edifice for dinner. He sometimes eats 3 meals successful a time astatine Bob’s Trading Post and hasn’t breached his regular since their arrest. One of Blauser’s lawyers advised him to enactment distant from Bauer.

“I can’t bash that due to the fact that she’s my champion friend, and I’m trying to assistance her. And if you can’t assistance your champion friend, God assistance you,” helium said.

On a caller occurrence of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” the big mocked Bauer for claiming to beryllium a “divinely empowered entity immune from laws.”

“Divinely empowered? So she’s going to get distant scot-free, conscionable similar Jesus,” Colbert joked. “But it does rise the question: If you’re chosen by God to beryllium supra the laws of government, wherefore bash you attraction who’s successful complaint of it?”

Bauer posted connected Facebook that she was wrong the Capitol. Several witnesses who saw her posts contacted the FBI. One of them was a lawsuit who said Bauer “became much and much governmental implicit the past year, and began losing concern due to the fact that radical were uncomfortable astir her changeless governmental rhetoric,” according to an FBI agent.

Investigators judge Bauer utilized her restaurant’s Facebook leafage to beforehand a autobus travel to Washington connected Jan. 6 for the “mega cardinal rally.”

“Need 51 radical to capable a bus,” she wrote, according to the FBI.

Bauer denies that she organized a autobus trip. Blauser said he, Bauer and 7 others traveled to Washington successful a rider van, not a bus. She and Blauser near the Capitol astir 38 minutes aft they entered.

“A batch of radical accidental that they’re arrogant of maine for lasting up for my rights,” Bauer said.

Blauser claims they “got caught up successful the moment."

“Everyone other was going up and going in, truthful we conscionable followed on with them,” helium added.

Bauser and Blauser some were freed connected $10,000 enslaved aft their arrests. They don't person a proceedings day yet. More than 20 different Capitol riot defendants person pleaded blameworthy arsenic of Monday. Only 3 person been sentenced, with 1 getting 8 months successful situation for breaching the U.S Senate chamber.

Kane Mayor Brandy Schimp, a first-term Republican, takes a agelong intermission erstwhile asked astir however she reacted to the Jan. 6 riot.

“I felt similar it was clip to unopen the TV disconnected and to get backmost to enactment due to the fact that there’s excessively overmuch part and there’s excessively overmuch choler and there’s excessively overmuch sadness and excessively overmuch frustration,” she said.

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