Leading Leftist Sullivan Charged Over Deadly Assault On U.S. Capitol
By Worthy News Breaking News Team George Whitten and Stefan J. Bos
(Worthy News) – A leading leftist activist has been charged for his role in the deadly assault on the US Capitol that left five people dead, officials confirmed Thursday.
John Sullivan, of Utah, was charged with “civil disorder, disorderly conduct, and entering a restricted building” which houses Congress “without authority,” federal prosecutors announced.
The 26-year-old Sullivan, who founded the leftist radical group Insurgence USA, also faces separate charges of rioting and criminal mischief over deadly violence in Provo, Utah, on June 30, 2020. In that incident in the U.S state, a person was shot and injured during a protest against police brutality.
Sullivan is the first left-leaning activist to be arrested in connection with the Capitol riot. The majority of those charged so far were described as supporters of President Donald J. Trump.
Sullivan’s Insurgence USA, which formed in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death in police custody, is seen by critics as part of the broader leftist Antifa movement.
Sullivan denied Antifa was involved in last week’s riots on the Capitol, which sparked impeachment procedures against President Trump.
An affidavit by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) against Sullivan on Thursday cites comments he made while filming the death of Ashli Babbitt during the upheaval.
Babbitt, a 14-year veteran who served four tours with the Air Force and resided in San Diego, was shot in the Capitol and late died of her injuries.
Sullivan claimed that he came to document Trump supporters’ activities who were protesting the results of the disputed presidential election.
But the FBI affidavit indicates Sullivan was acting more as an active participant in the riots than as a journalist, according to footage filled with explicit.
“There are so many people. Let’s go. This s#*t is ours! F#*k yeah,” he is heard saying in the video, according to an FBI affidavit from FBI Special Agent Matthew Foulger. “We accomplished this s#*t. We did this together. F#*k yeah! We are all a part of this history,” he also said, adding: “Let’s burn this s#*t down.”
It was not immediately clear what prison terms and fines prosecutors were seeking. Prosecutors have already charged dozens of people connected with the riots, many of whom were seen as outspoken Trump supporters.
Derrick Evans, a former Republican delegate from West Virginia, was reportedly charged with illegally entering the Capitol.
Bradley Rusktales, a former CEO of a marketing company who also faces charges, donated tens of thousands of dollars to the Trump campaign and other Republicans, according to media reports.
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