 |
| Ali (Akbar) Alexander |
Ali (Akbar) Alexander, the right-wing extremist who organized a pro-Trump rally that turned into an assault on the U.S. Capitol, is on the run from federal authorities. But like any good Republican, he is still trying to raise money. From a report at the Fort Worth Star Telegram, by Kaley Johnson and Nichole Manna:
A man with Fort Worth ties who helped organize the rally that preceded the Capitol riot is asking supporters to send him money to a UPS box on Golden Triangle Boulevard after he was banned from major social media platforms.
Ali Alexander, 35, was a leader of the 2020 “Stop the Steal” movement, which spread false claims about fraud in the 2020 presidential election. Alexander attended Fossil Ridge High School and has lived in Fort Worth, but his whereabouts following the Capitol riot are unknown.
The day before the Jan. 6 riot, Alexander was captured on video leading chants outside the U.S. Capitol, including one in which he raised his fist and yelled, “Victory or death!” He has been linked to far-right extremists and key figures in the storming of the U.S. Capitol.
Alexander's attorney is Baron Coleman, and an amateur sleuth might wonder if the FBI is monitoring communications to and from Coleman's office in Montgomery, AL. Now, it looks like agents also have a lead in Fort Worth, TX:
In a video posted to his social media, he said he “was the person who came up with the Jan. 6 idea” along with three congressmen.
“We four schemed up a maximum pressure on Congress while they were voting,” he says in the video, which was deleted from his social media but reposted on Twitter.
In interviews before the Jan. 6 “March to Save America” rally, Alexander pushed the idea that the right-wing movement was fighting against a common enemy that wanted to kill and enslave its followers. He suggested the solution was to fight — “to punch the left in the nose,” “do brave acts,” and “have vengeance if we have traitors,” according to interviews tracked and collected by Media Matters.
He coordinated planning for the rally with Caroline Wren, a Trump fundraiser, according to the Wall Street Journal. He also continues to sell merchandise on Gumroad, including mugs and T-shirts with his face on them.
In November, Alexander attended election protests in Austin alongside radio host and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and claimed to have organized the armed protest in Maricopa County, Arizona, where volunteers were counting votes on Nov. 5.
Alexander’s accounts on PayPal and Venmo have been suspended, as well as his Twitter. He has been banned from Facebook, where he was one of the organizers of the “Stop the Steal” Facebook group, according to Politico.
Living on the lam apparently can get expensive, so Alexander is trying to drum up cash:
A donation campaign on the Christian crowdfunding site GiveSendGo asks for money for the “protection and team” for Ali. On Jan. 15, a post signed by Alexander said he could no longer access the GiveSendGo donations, and instead asked people to mail checks to the UPS store in Fort Worth.
A spokeswoman said UPS is investigating and will work with local agencies if needed.
“The UPS Store condemns the violence at the U.S. Capitol,” a statement from UPS said. “We provide business services for many thousands of customers across the country, but have no direct affiliation with those businesses and are not privy to their interests. However, The UPS Store strictly abides by all local, state and federal laws and regulations, and our customers must do the same to maintain their service.”
The Fort Worth connection of Alexander’s fundraiser was first publicized Monday on Twitter by author and political activist Don Winslow.
We have written extensively about Alexander's work in Alabama's GOP swamp, his ties to right-wing money men Robert Mercer and Foster Friess, and even his connections to the one and only Karl Rove.
No comments:
Post a Comment