Austin "anarchists" arrested at RNC in MN., being framed (?) for Tx. Governor's Mansion fire

[Dover]

This reminds me of the "Tx. Yogurt Shop Murder" arrests - some young guys getting framed for an otherwise flimsy case. I hope they get excellent legal representation. The governor's mansion fire reeks of inside job (too many coincidental oversights, inconsistencies and questions). How convenient to link it to these "anarchists". Apparently all they need for their case are some young radicals and a few molotovs and, of course, their 'informants'.

http://m.reporternews.com/news/2008/Jul/28/dps-report-details-mansion-security-lapses/
Now this:

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Texas Men Charged in Molotov Cocktail Possession During RNC Linked to Other Crimes


MINNEAPOLIS -- Two men from Austin, Texas, allegedly connected to a group involved in planning to disrupt the Republican National Convention were charged Friday in federal court with illegally possessing Molotov cocktails.

David Guy McKay, 22, and Bradley Neil Crowder, 23, were each charged Sept. 5 with one count of possession of firearms for having Molotov cocktails.

According to the criminal complaint, McKay and Crowder knowingly and intentionally possessed Molotov cocktails from Aug. 31 through Sept. 3.

The arrests

McKay was arrested by St. Paul police during the execution of a search warrant on Sept. 3 at a residence on Dayton Street. Crowder was arrested on Sept. 1 for disorderly conduct. The search warrant at the Dayton Street residence specifically requested permission to search for “weapons or devices that may be used as weapons.” (hmmmm)

Leader & member of group arrested

According to a FBI affidavit, the FBI in Texas began investigating the group, labeled by law enforcement as the Austin Affinity Group, in February 2007. Crowder is listed as the group’s leader, and McKay has been identified as a group member.

Suspected in other acts of anarchy

David McKay and Bradley Crowder are also suspects in an arson at the Texas governor's mansion in June. The FBI believes McKay is photographed in a surveillance video taken in the alley of the governor's mansion, just three minutes before someone threw a Molotov cocktail. Another video shows another man running from the mansion.

Security analyst Fred Burton said, "If I was looking at the Governor's mansion fire I would clearly look at this group and these individuals as suspects."...cont'd

http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=7369750&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1

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http://www.star-telegram.com/state_news/story/889561.html

[tanyev]

1. That happened the same weekend as the Texas Dem Convention, right?

I thought when it happened they would try to blame it on "leftists". Just surprised it took this long.

[Dover]

2. They called it "the perfect storm"

Indeed.

Remarkable timing for a young leftist arsonist to take such bold action -

All the historic furnishings and heirlooms had been removed from the mansion for the renovation project. Among the improvement projects were an overhaul of the plumbing, removal of lead paint and asbestos and installation of a fire sprinkler system. The gov out of the country...

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AUSTIN – The perfect storm of a poorly trained state trooper, faulty surveillance equipment, and security procedures tripped up by renovations contributed to this month’s destructive fire at the Texas Governor’s Mansion, a Department of Public Safety sergeant investigating the incident said Thursday.

Sgt. Michael Escalante told the state Public Safety Commission that damage from arson, which nearly gutted the 152-year-old building, might have been avoided if there had been more or better-prepared troopers on duty at the mansion, and if security equipment had not malfunctioned.

As it was, he said, a single, poorly trained trooper who had already worked an eight-hour shift at an Austin history museum was on duty at the mansion. Seven of 20 security cameras were broken. Motion detectors weren’t engaged, because officers were under the false impression that they didn’t work while the mansion was undergoing repairs.

“With the cameras improperly working, with the beams inactivated, there should’ve been additional personnel on the ground, a second set of eyes,” said Sgt. Escalante, who did the review at the commission’s request. “It was a combination of things.”

Sgt. Escalante also revealed that an off-duty police officer in the area at the time of the blaze (around 2 am Sunday morning!) saw a man bolting away from the governor’s mansion, jumping into a car and making a u-turn. The police officer found a lighter on the ground near where the man was standing, and turned it in as evidence...cont'd


http://www.kvue.com/news/local/stories/061908kvuePublicSafety-cb.1b4532c4.html

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That part about finding the lighter reminds me of the story after 9/11 of finding one of the
'terrorists' passports in the debris. That's the FBI for ya.

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1571/is_2003_June_24/ai_103603756