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AZ Dem Party HQ Burned Down … by Dem Activist?
The Arizona Democratic Party headquarters was firebombed Friday, completely destroying the standalone building in downtown Phoenix. The fire dealt a severe blow to the party infrastructure just before Tuesday’s primary election.
Over the weekend, Democratic activists around the country blamed the state Republican Party and President Trump for the arson, casting it as obvious right-wing terrorism.
The @GOP is up to its old tricks again. Shameful (and illegal). https://t.co/kTHySGP8SY
— Scott Nevins (@ScottNevins) July 25, 2020
can't wait to see Barr send in the troops. https://t.co/Kb7hVVI0Mu
— Joe Lockhart (@joelockhart) July 25, 2020
All Nixon did was bug the DNC. https://t.co/wDZbnYzDFy
— Gerry Conway (@gerryconway) July 25, 2020
Last cycle, a Trumper sent bombs to Prominent Dems Trump had attacked. Now there’s arson at Dem party offices. Trump has invited violence before. https://t.co/qQvp58leIh
— Neera -Wear a Mask -Tanden (@neeratanden) July 25, 2020
Arizona Democratic party headquarters burned down. Police suspect arson. Wonder if Trump will be sending US troops to restore law and order from republican terrorists. https://t.co/RvI66kEPEZ
— John Aravosis 🇺🇸🇬🇷🏳️🌈 (@aravosis) July 26, 2020
On Tuesday, Phoenix police arrested the alleged culprit, 29-year-old Democratic precinct committeeman and activist Matthew Egler.
It’s not like he made it difficult. Egler repeatedly posted his approval on social media before taking responsibility.
On July 20, days before the Maricopa County Democratic Party’s virtual convention, Egler posted a video of himself outdoors lighting on fire what appear to be voting guides.
“That’s all you can do, guys,” he said. “Light things on fire, here I go.” He lit the fliers on fire, saying, “This is from the 2016 election, when I got rid of Joe Arpaio for the Latinos,” he said of the former county sheriff who is running for re-election. “Call the state legislature today for an emergency session.”
Days after the fire, on July 26, he began sharing local news accounts of the fire. Emojis accompanied several of the news stories and photos.
In one video that appears to be taken on the outdoor patio of a home, he said it “wasn’t very sad” that the building was bombed. He takes issue in rambling comments with the county party’s chair, Steven Slugocki and state Party Chair Felecia Rotellini over “unequal” distribution of donations and “fixing” the election for former Vice President Joe Biden.
He said in the video his complaints were unheeded.
“Pretty sure Steven could understand why he’s bombed,” Egler said in one video. “If he doesn’t understand that, then I call the man a damn liar. I’m sorry that your donations that you’ve sent to Maricopa County Democratic Party as a result of that fire are being wasted.”
On Tuesday, he posted along with a media account of the fire: “I BOMBED THIS BUILDING DO YOU NOT SEE THAT!?!?! I BOMBED IT!!!!”
A short time later, he posted “I BOMBED THIS BUILDING LISTEN TO WHAT IM SAYING.”
Egler served as a Democratic precinct committeeman for three years but was banned from further activity “due to the nature of his previous behaviors.”
From his social media accounts, it is obvious Egler is struggling with serious mental issues, ranting about secretly being married to Ivanka Trump and demanding to be made vice president. But, much like Jared Loughner in his 2011 shooting of Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-AZ), many on the left immediately cast it as Republican political terrorism.
Expect this story to be quickly memory-holed by the media since it no longer serves their left-leaning narrative.
Published in General
It’s just a local story.
Good lord.
I hope the guy gets help.
Feel the Bern?
did the fake mail ballots perish as well?
On the other hand, the Democrats are asking for this. How many Republicans have been attacks? A man with a gun shot them up at a baseball game and he was a Bernie supporter.
They have lawyers throwing bombs. The left is so anxious to find someone on the right being racist they have to make it up. They claim violence on the right and it is a lie.
The apologies from everyone who jumped to the wrong conclusion will be rolling in any time, now.
Damn. I was wondering who was doing that!
Tangled up in blue.
I wonder if Eggler actually did it or if he is just claiming credit? It sounds like he is disturbed enough that either one is possible.
I dunno, HE’S PRETTY EMPHATIC! /this is a joke, dear CoC enforcer
Not all violent mentally ill individuals are incoherent. They can attach themselves to political causes whether Left, or Right, sometimes switching sides when they can’t get what they want to feed their delusions, or if they are not getting the attention they feel they deserve.
Paranoid schizophrenia can manifest itself in teenagers, and later in life. Medication can mitigate the illness, but there are some individuals that cannot be helped by medication.
I’ve arrested one in a bar, still covered in blood spatter who stabbed his roommate to death. He believed his roommate was a KGB agent, and the CIA gave him orders to kill him. He was not incoherent. He spoke in complete sentences, and he understood me when I read him his Miranda Rights. He did not resist arrest, and showed me where he tossed the knife. He still maintained he was following orders.
Unfortunately, neither agency will confirm nor deny the veracity of the claim.
I never would have suspected a Democrat. After all, the flag wasn’t burned.
Now it is.
Another victim of friendly fire. He probably confused his R’s with D’s.
So the problem is not that he’s insane, it’s that he’s dyslexic?
Probably figured it would burn with the rest of the building.
Huh? GOP “old tricks”?
When has any Republican operative ever been credibly accused (let alone convicted) of trying to sabotage Democratic operations (other than maybe stealing lawn signs)? Yet we can easily cite many examples of Democrats committing violence to Republican operations.
Living in a thick fantasy bubble, are we, Mr. Nevins?