A Trump supporter who said he participated in the January 6 Capitol riot expressed frustration over allegations that other groups were responsible for the insurrection, according to legal documents first reported by the Huffington Post on Tuesday
Don’t you dare try to tell me that people are blaming this on antifa and BLM,” a man named Jon Gennaro, identified by the FBI as Jonathan Gennaro Mellis, wrote on Facebook, referring to the anti-far right movement known as “antifa” and Black Lives Matter protestors. They are “too p—-,” he added.
“We proudly take responsibility for storming the Castle,” Mellis continued. “We are fighting for election integrity.”
Since a pro-Trump mob violently stormed the Capitol last month, some Republicans have attempted to cast blame elsewhere, elevating theories that antifa and Black Lives Matter protestors had disguised themselves among the former president’s supporters and carried out the siege. The FBI has said that there is no evidence to support the claims.
Mellis’ social media posts, documented in an affidavit, also push back on the GOP talking point.
The FBI revealed several photos of Mellis at the riot and pointed to video evidence of him wielding a stick and striking police officers guarding the Capitol complex. Mellis faces multiple charges, including for assault of police officers, obstruction of law enforcement and Congress, disorderly conduct, and forced entry of restricted grounds. The FBI has made over 250 arrests in relation to the Capitol riot thus far.
Former President Donald Trump, at the time, had also told House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy in a phone call that antifa perpetrated the attack, according to an account of the conversation by Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler. McCarthy, a top Republican, has dismissed the conspiracy theory.
The Huffington Post reported that at least three other Capitol rioters have rejected claims that antifa and Black Lives Matter groups were involved.
“It was not Antifa at the Capitol,” Brandon Straka, who was charged last month, said per the Huffington Post. “It was freedom loving Patriots who were DESPERATE to fight for the final hope of our Republic because literally nobody cares about them.”
