Headlines on extremism and the radical right that caught our
attention.
Friend,
Every week, we highlight stories on extremism and the radical right
from the Southern Poverty Law Center's Intelligence Project.
Here are stories that caught our attention over the past week:
Sovereign citizen farmer
* Sovereign Citizen
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Amos Miller's Organic Farm has faced scrutiny after two
food-borne illnesses were linked to its products. As part of a
legal case against Miller's businesses,
Pennsylvania's Agriculture Department discovered E. coli
in raw eggnog and ground beef, along with other products testing
positive for Listeria, Lancaster newspaper LNP reported on March
7
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. The court issued an injunction against Miller, who is Amish,
to halt out-of-state retail in January. Miller is seeking
permission from the court to sell his dairy products,
particularly raw milk, beyond Pennsylvania's borders. His
legal team argues that existing policies only apply within the
state. His case has drawn attention from far-right media, LNP
reported.
* This is the latest development in a long-running series of food
safety cases brought against Miller by state and federal
regulatory agencies. The U.S. government brought and won a suit
against Miller and his companies in 2017 over the safety of
their products. Miller appealed the decision, which courts
denied in 2017.
* Miller continued to file motions to appeal using a combination
of alleged bankruptcies and attempted arbitration with sovereign
citizen group Prairie Star National. The U.S. government does
not recognize sovereign citizen arbitration. By the end of 2023,
Miller paid all fines and fees levied against him and signed a
third consent decree, agreeing to follow the government's
food safety provisions as laid out in the decree, according to
Food Safety News
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.
Pike County Board proposes militia
* Several members of Illinois' Pike County Board proposed
the possibility of establishing a county militia, the My Journal
Courier reported
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on March 9. This idea was prompted by Senate Bill 3589,
introduced by Sen. Edward Markey, which aims to prohibit
unauthorized paramilitary activity. Board member Joey Cobb
expressed concerns that the bill could limit Second Amendment
rights, the report states. Cobb and his fellow board member Mark
Mountain "said they would participate in a militia if one
were to be formed legally" and "mentioned
undocumented immigrants as something the militia would defend
against, with Cobb saying he asked if Pike County could be made
a 'non-sanctuary county' so the government could not
house migrants there," My Journal Courier said. However,
State's Attorney Walker Filbert stated that forming a
county militia is not possible as the county is a political
subdivision of the state of Illinois. Despite this, the issue
will be further discussed at the county's agriculture
committee meeting.
* Hatewatch has previously reported on how anti-immigrant rhetoric
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is creeping into mainstream political discourse.
Claremont Institute's ties to far-right fraternal order
* The Claremont Institute
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, a conservative thinktank, has been linked to the Society for
American Civic Renewal (SACR), a far-right fraternal order, The
Guardian reported
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on March 11. The president of Claremont and another senior
official are closely involved with SACR. Documents reveal
SACR's radical mission statement, speaking of recruiting a
"brotherhood" for a "renewed American regime,"
according to the article. The documents were rooted in extreme
Christian nationalism and religious autocracy, experts told The
Guardian.
* Claremont's president, Ryan Williams, confirmed his
involvement with SACR to The Guardian but stated that
Claremont's corporate collaboration with SACR ended after
helping it establish as an incorporated 501(C)(10), or a
government-recognized fraternal order.
CPAC
* On March 8, Hatewatch reported
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that activists at the annual Conservative Political Action
Conference (CPAC) presented their movement as being embroiled in
an irrevocable, existential conflict with their perceived
political adversaries. The conference featured an array of
speakers and prominent attendees from international far-right
organizations. These included figures from El Salvador, Germany,
Hungary
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, Argentina, Spain, Japan and the United Kingdom. During the
event, one speaker called for the overthrow of democracy, while
others portrayed former President Donald Trump as the sole
politician capable of rescuing America from crisis. Vendors
promoting conspiracy theories related to the January 6, 2021,
insurrection and the attack on the U.S. Capitol. It appears the
conference struggled to maintain relevance and attract
attendees. The venue featured rows of empty seats, even during
Trump's speech.
* Last year, Hatewatch reported
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the location of white nationalist Nick Fuentes' event
near CPAC. The report beat Fuentes' announcement of the
event. Hatewatch also reported
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on convicted sex offender Daryl Brooks selling his book at a
booth on the CPAC floor, amid featured speakers' calls to
protect children.
Read last week's edition here: Extremism Headlines:
Anti-LGBTQ Lobbying, Far-right Outlet To Close
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Sincerely,
Your friends at the Southern Poverty Law Center
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all people.
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