A right-wing activist known for his unwavering support for former President Trump and urging Democrats to run away from their party has been arrested for participating in the Capitol uprising.
Brandon Straka, 43, has been charged with several crimes, including interfering with a law enforcement officer during civil disturbances and displaying disorderly conduct with the intent of disrupting a hearing before Congress, for his role in the January 6 siege.
The ex-New York City hairstylist who has described herself as a ‘former liberal’ is best known for starting the ‘WalkAway campaign’, which urged liberal voters to leave the Democratic Party. Earlier this month, Straka announced that Facebook had removed the campaign page, which had more than half a million followers.
In June, Straka also made national headlines after being banned from American Airlines for refusing to wear a mask on a flight to Dallas amid the coronavirus pandemic.
In a criminal complaint that was unlocked on Monday, prosecutor Straka posted several photos and videos during and after the riots. The court documents say investigators were aware of Straka’s involvement when a tipster indicated he had a video on Twitter on January 6 in which the activist shouted, “Go, Go!” at the entrance to the Capitol.
‘Also – be ashamed and hide if necessary – but I was there. It wasn’t Antifa in the Capitol. They were freedom-loving patriots desperate to fight for our republic’s last hope because literally no one cares about them. Everyone else can denounce them. I won’t do it, ”Straka also wrote in a January 6 tweet.
Prosecutors allege that Straka shot multiple videos during and after the riots. In a video on Jan. 7, the activist admits: “Yesterday many of us got up very, very early. We went to this event where Donald Trump spoke. The plan was always to go to the Capitol. We would march from that event … to the Capitol, and there would be another meeting. I was one of the speakers who would speak at the Capitol. ”
Straka says that as he walked to the Capitol, he learned that “patriots had come in.”
“Wow, so they’re basically going to storm and try to get into the room so they can demand that we get the research we want,” he said in the Jan. 7 video, according to the complaint.
Straka then claimed that he saw “ bursts of tear gas coming out of the doors. ”
“Shortly after, a man came out” and told him, “They approved Congress. Everyone left. No one else is in. Everyone turns around. No one else comes in,” said Straka.
Despite Straka’s lengthy video claiming he was not directly involved in the riots, screenshots from his Twitter account show that he encouraged MAGA supporters to storm the Capitol.
Patriots in the Capitol – HOLD. THE. LINE !!!! ”he wrote in a Jan. 6 tweet. In another, Straka added that he“ arrived at the Capitol a few hours ago when patriots stormed from all sides. the door began to gas. “
‘I am completely confused. For 6-8 weeks, everyone on the right says “1776!” & that if Congress moves forward, it will be a revolution! So the Congress is moving forward. Patriots are storming the Capitol – now everyone is virtually expressing their shame that this has happened, ”Straka wrote in another post.
The complaint notes that the FBI received many tips about his involvement, including one from a family member who said they saw a video of Straka about to enter the Capitol. The family member added that Straka can be heard saying, “We’re going in. We’re going in,” in a video later posted on YouTube entitled, “Straka attacks the Capitol on Jan. 6.”
In the eight-minute video, taken Jan. 6, a Capitol Police officer is seen wearing a protective shield trying to stop a mob of rioters. As individuals push past the officer to break into the Capitol, Straka hears shouts, “Get it away from him” and “Take the shield!”
Several people in the crowd then grab the officer’s shield while Straka keeps shouting, “Take it! Take it!”
As Straka gets closer to the entrance to the Capitol, he turns the camera to face himself and says, “They’re using gas. We are now being gassed. ”
Straka’s popularity among the right winger skyrocketed after he started the “WalkAway” campaign in 2018. On Monday, he was a guest on Newsmax presenter Greg Kelly’s podcast to talk about “his war with the far-left” and Facebook’s decision to remove his campaign page.
It was not immediately clear when the interview was recorded. (However, according to court records, prosecutors filed suit against Straka on Jan. 20.)
In June, Straka was banned from American Airlines after she refused to wear a mask on a flight to Dallas. After a heated exchange with an airline employee while boarding the flight at La Guardia Airport, he was led off the plane.
In an interview with The New York Times after the incident, Straka claimed he had a medical condition that prevented him from wearing a mask. (Straka did not elaborate on his condition, however.)
“I felt that the airline had succumbed to the crowd mentality, which I feel is happening all over our country now,” insisted Straka.