More from the Matt Shea files: GPS trackers, a 'provisional government' and a hunt for moles

[rpannier]

snip

Last year, at the Marble religious compound in northern Stevens County, Shea described a brewing civil war in the United States, telling a crowd: “Liberty must be kept by force.” He later acknowledged writing a manifesto titled “Biblical Basis for War.” And recently, “Bundyville,” a podcast about right-wing extremism in the American West, explored Shea’s connections to the racist Christian Identity movement and dominionism, the idea that Christians have a God-given right to govern.

Already, Shea and some of his closest supporters have made physical preparations for a holy war, one that would help them establish their long-envisioned 51st state, their Redoubt, their Christian homeland. Leaked emails published this week reveal that Shea has had close ties with a group that conducted “patriotic and biblical training on war for young men.”

In addition to running “background checks” on liberal activists and supporting military-style training for boys and young men, Shea has in recent years sought to purchase GPS tracking devices, compiled dossiers on local progressive leaders and kept a blacklist of suspected informants in his network. He also plotted to establish a “provisional government” in the event of a collapse and boasted about his efforts to “turn back the tide” of those who practice Islam in the United States.

Shea also distributed a list that purported to include the names and phone numbers of every law enforcement officer working in Washington state, saying it would help to “confirm or deny legitimacy” of investigators who made contact. He and his associates used email servers and messaging apps designed with extra layers of encryption in an attempt to shield their identities. He signed messages “V” or “V/B” – short for his code name, Verum Bellator, which is Latin for “truth warrior.”

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2019/aug/18/more-from-the-shea-files-gps-trackers-a-provisiona/

[Haggis for Breakfast]

1. HOW is this man still in office ?

Compiling the names and phone numbers of every LEO in Washington ?

[yonder]

2. The link is worth the read. The kooks are out there.

I'm not surprised to see Idaho's Rep. Heather Scott showing up as a supporter of Shea either as her record shows herself to be part of the radical far right.

Attributed to her from the article:

“This packet is from a private meeting I went to and is full of valuable information on key federal operatives that are working collectively in the Northwest out of multiple locations,” Scott wrote. “Please take the time to review and learn some of the names and connections as I believe the information will be very valuable. This information is somewhat sensitive so please be careful who you choose to share it with.”

I doubt if this rises to the level of conspiracy with that packet being a compilation of newsletters and other things related to the US Bureau of Reclamation and water use in the Pacific Northwest. But it seems as if it is approaching it. I think her word choice of "federal operatives that are working collectively" is curious also. To me it clearly shows her disdain for any kind of federal government collaboration or goal sharing. Isn't "working collectively" what people do as part of a team, whether that team is a family, a small or large business or a government agency?

This whole thing is chilling.