John Earle Sullivan

Last updated
John Earle Sullivan
John Earle Sullivan (cropped).jpg
Sullivan at the Washington Monument, 2021
Born (1994-07-18) July 18, 1994 (age 29)
Other names
  • Jayden X
  • Activist John

John Earle Sullivan (born July 18, 1994), [1] also known as Activist John, [2] is an American political activist and self-identified photojournalist who participated in the January 6, 2021 United States Capitol attack. In November 2023, he was convicted by a jury of felony obstruction of an official proceeding, civil disorder, and five misdemeanors. [3]

Contents

Before the January 6 attack, Sullivan organized and participated in protests relating to the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, though a few other BLM organizers explicitly disavowed him, even expelling Sullivan from rallies and warning fellow activists to avoid associating with Sullivan. [4] [5]

On January 6, Sullivan entered the Capitol wearing Trump/MAGA hat and attire and broke a window. Using a bullhorn, he repeatedly shouted encouragement to fellow rioters. Sullivan captured footage of the attack, his own interactions with law enforcement, and the shooting of Ashli Babbitt. [6]

Following Sullivan's participation in the Capitol attack, Rudy Giuliani accused Sullivan of being affiliated with Antifa. By May 2021, Sullivan was facing eight federal charges for his involvement in the January 6 events.

Early life and family

Sullivan was adopted into a conservative Latter-Day Saint family. [4] [2] [7] His father, John Sullivan Sr., was a lieutenant colonel in the US Army. [4] Sullivan has three younger brothers. [4] Sullivan grew up in Stafford, Virginia. [2] Around 2013, the family moved to Utah.

After graduating from high school, Sullivan applied to be a police officer. [4] Sullivan got involved in speed skating and in 2016, Sullivan was featured in a commercial blog post on Uber's site, describing him as "searching for a way to earn money that fit with his busy training schedule". [8] Sullivan participated in the 2018 Olympic trials but failed to qualify; Despite this, he has claimed to have "competed in the 2018 Olympic Games". [4]

Activism prior to the 2021 Capitol attack

In June 2020, Sullivan began to attend Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests. According to Lex Scott, the founder of Black Lives Matter-Utah, none of the activists knew him before this time. [7]

Civilized Awakening and Insurgence USA

Conservative activist James Sullivan, John's brother, reports that John was conservative "until recently". [2] James Sullivan founded "Civilized Awakening", part of the greater far-right Patriot movement. [7] [9]

In June 2020, [10] [ better source needed ] John Sullivan founded "Insurgence USA", a group participating in protests against police violence. [6] [11] Sullivan was accused of exploiting the racial justice movement for self-gain. The Salt Lake Tribune observed that Sullivan had been selling merchandise and indulging in self-promotion on many websites; his Insurgence USA website sells protest-related gear, such as black clothing, gloves, and gas masks, branded "bloc gear collective". [2] [7]

Car protest, shooting and arrest

External videos
Nuvola apps kaboodle.svg Footage of shots fired at June 29, 2020 protest in Provo.

On June 29, 2020, Sullivan led his first protest event, in Provo, Utah. BLM leader Lex Scott recalled: "His very first protest he held was the one someone got shot". [2] The event was a counter-protest against a pro-police event [12] [13] [14] [15] where a Back the Blue group drove vehicles driving around the Provo police station. Meanwhile, Sullivan and others organized a counter-protest blocking vehicles and interfering with traffic on a busy street. One man affiliated with Sullivan, Jesse Taggart, was charged with attempted murder for shooting and injuring a driver who had slowly moved through the crowd of protestors. The shooting victim was not affiliated with either protest group. [16] [17]

Sullivan was arrested and charged with rioting, making a threat of violence and criminal mischief. [18] According to a police affidavit, Sullivan damaged vehicles and cooperated with Insurgence USA to recruit protesters for a protest. Sullivan indicated that he thought the driver Taggart shot was trying to run over protesters, a claim police disputed based on video evidence of the event. [18] [19]

Ties to Proud Boys

External videos
Nuvola apps kaboodle.svg Speech by James Sullivan to a Proud Boys rally in Portland on Sept 26, 2020, mentioning his brother John.

Sullivan organized events in Provo, Utah, that were controversial with BLM. Sullivan experienced greater skepticism after a July 1, 2020, event where he invited speeches from the Proud Boys, an American far-right, neo-fascist organization that promotes and engages in political violence. [20] [21] Sullivan's close relationship with the Proud Boys led to BLM activists refusing to work with him. [2] Sullivan later got his group firearms training. [2] On September 26, Sullivan's brother James had addressed a Proud Boys rally in Portland on behalf of James's far-right group Civilized Awakening. [22] [23] [24]

Criticism for armed protest

On July 22, 2020, Sullivan held a solo, armed protest at the Utah State Capitol, carrying an AR-15. The protest lasted a few hours, during which he was confronted by twenty armed men from Utah Citizens' Alarm. [6] [25] As he began carrying assault rifles to protest, this invited hostility from both the right and the left. [2] [7]

In August 2020, Sullivan was filmed giving a speech outside the US Capitol. Sullivan spoke of "burning this shit down" and told the crowd "we gotta rip Trump out of that office right over there" while pointing to the White House; he added "we ain't fucking waiting til the next election". [26] [27] [28] Lex Scott said that Sullivan seemed to have "a death wish" as he thought it would be "cool, or amazing, if he was killed at a protest and it started a revolution". [2] She has also denied Sullivan is a member of BLM-Utah and expressed suspicions of his seeking fame, adding he never attended any BLM meetings nor worked alongside them to advance their agenda. [7]

Work with Jade Sacker

According to James Sullivan, by October 2020, [29] [ better source needed ] he and his brother John were subjects of a documentary being filmed by Jade Sacker. Sacker reportedly used two teams to document the brothers' efforts. [29] [ better source needed ] Sacker would later accompany John Sullivan into the Capitol on January 6.

Denounced and expelled

An activist from Portland warned people not to trust him, after he managed to get local activists arrested in September 2020 by leading them down a wrong route and into a police kettle; Sullivan was widely-suspected of being a double agent working for law enforcement. In Signal chat groups, Sullivan would use various sock puppet accounts to create the illusion that others were defending the reputation of John Sullivan. [4] Labor activist Talia Jane said Sullivan is "reviled throughout the activist space". [2]

On September 16, James Sullivan and Civilized Awakening held a counterprotest against BLM. James brought a bodyguard to a BLM protest; that individual was arrested on charges of brandishing a firearm. [9] [30]

On November 26, 2020, Seattle activists published a memo accusing John Sullivan of being an agent provocateur seeking to undermine the Black Lives Matter movement: [2]

"John has been kicked from the #SaltLakeCity and #Portland protest scenes due to alarming behaviors including grifting/profiteering, self-promotion/clout chasing, sabotage of community actions, threats of violence, and — maybe most disturbingly — ties to the far-right ... John's brother, James, is the co-founder of a pro-Trump org called 'Civilized Awakening,' and has strong ties to Proud Boys — even having spoken at a Proud Boy rally. The brothers' polarized political stances conveniently bolster the other's public personas. Activists in these cities recommend that he be barred from community actions and totally avoided."

On December 12, Pro- and Anti-Trump activists traveled to Washington DC. Brawls broke out; four people were stabbed. That day, John Sullivan was escorted from an event at Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington after he was identified by activists aware of the accusations against him. [2] That same day, James Sullivan was similarly evicted from a Pro-Trump event in Washington. [29]

Participation in the 2021 Capitol attack

January 6 United
States Capitol attack
2021 storming of the United States Capitol DSC09156 (50826223403) (cropped to gallows).jpg
Timeline • Planning
Background
2020 presidential election
and other causes
Related groups and persons
Participants
Notable people
Organizations
Law enforcement response
Aftermath
Biden inauguration
Investigations and charges
Corporate actions
Reactions
Impeachment and 2024 presidential election

John Sullivan participated in the storming of the United States Capitol. He wore a ballistic vest and gas mask, entering the building through a broken window. [31] Sullivan took extensive video, including video of the shooting of Ashli Babbitt. [1] [32] [33] Sullivan could be heard saying "Dude, this shit's gonna go viral" after Babbitt's death. [4]

Sullivan filmed himself chanting "we about to burn this shit down" and "we accomplished this shit. We did this together. Fuck yeah! We are all a part of this history", "We gotta get this shit burned", and "It's our house, motherfuckers!" He also used a megaphone and shouted support. [7] [14] [2] [34]

Speaker's Lobby

Outside the Speaker's lobby, Sullivan filmed himself telling others in the crowd that he has a knife. He later denied having a knife, claiming he "used that to navigate myself to the front of the crowd". [35]

Upon reaching the front of the crowd, he told a law enforcement officer guarding the barricaded door: "We want you to go home. I’m recording and there’s so many people and they’re going to push their way up here. Bro, I’ve seen people out there get hurt. I don’t want to see you get hurt." [34] [1]

Public interviews

External videos
Nuvola apps kaboodle.svg Footage of John Sullivan answering questions immediately after the Babbitt shooting.

Moments after Babbitt was shot, Sullivan gave an impromptu interview with a streamer identifying as working for Infowars. Later that night, Sullivan and Jade Sacker appeared on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360° , showing Sullivan's footage of the Babbitt shooting. [36] [37]

Detention and FBI interview

On January 7, Sullivan was interviewed by FBI agents about the shooting. [38] Sullivan said he is not affiliated with BLM or antifa, nor with the pro-Trump crowd, although he supports Black Lives Matter. When asked about the use of antifa hashtags in his social media posts, he rejected being associated with the group, but has stated that he, along with his group, is anti-fascist. He admitted to shouting support during the attack, but claimed he only did these things to "blend in" with the pro-Trump mob. [7] [14] [2] [34] His brother, James Sullivan, said that he sent the FBI tips about John Sullivan about a week after the attack. [4]

On January 13, 2021, an arrest warrant with three counts related to the Washington, D.C., riot was signed by a magistrate judge. The affidavit was based on work by the Counterterrorism Section of the United States Department of Justice National Security Division and the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia. The affidavit stated that Sullivan entered the Capitol's west side by climbing through a broken window. He later approached another window and a knocking noise was heard, after which it was broken. Sullivan stated, "I broke it. My bad, my apologies. Well they already broke a window, so you know, I didn't know I hit it that hard. No one got that on camera." One charge, "40 U.S.C. § 5104(e)(2)(D)", is a specific crime of entering or remaining in the House of Congress without authorization. [39] [40] [41] [42] [43]

Arrest and charges

Sullivan was arrested in Tooele County, Utah, and appeared before a judge on January 15, 2021. Two computers, two cell phones, and camera equipment were seized by the FBI. He was released with strict pre-trial conditions. [4] [14] [44] [45] He was released as the authorities did not have sufficient proof to keep him in custody, and under the conditions that he keeps a job where he has to work full-time; remains at home except to go to work, church or court; only posts to social media to request jobs; does not leave Utah and surrenders his passport to the authorities; does not work anymore with Insurgence USA though still being allowed to handle its financial transactions and tax returns; has a mental health evaluation; does not possess firearms. [46] [47]

Antifa conspiracy theory

Sullivan's involvement in the riots was cited by pro-Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani and The Gateway Pundit as part of a conspiracy theory alleging antifa's involvement in the riots. [48] Giuliani published a screen shot of a message from James Sullivan reading "I'm currently working with the FBI to expose and place total blame on John and the 226 members of antifa that instigated the Capitol 'riot'". [49]

Federal authorities had not identified Sullivan as a member of antifa [50] and the FBI had announced on January 8 there was no evidence of antifa involvement in the siege. [51] BLM Utah had for months disassociated itself from Sullivan on concerns that he might be associated with the Proud Boys. [52] [53]

Claims of being a journalist

Sullivan has called himself a citizen journalist and claimed he was at the Capitol attack only as a photojournalist. An FBI affidavit disputes the claim he was a photojournalist, as he had no press credentials. [54] Prosecutors allege that in December 2020, Sullivan publicly denied being a journalist. [55]

Sullivan's own recording is a described as a first-person documentary film he released on YouTube under the title Shooting and Storming of the US Capitol in Washington DC. J. Hoberman, a film critic writing in Artforum , reviewed Sullivan's film, describing it as "cinema as forensic evidence" and comparing it to the Zapruder film of the Kennedy assassination, while also characterizing it as a "gonzo reportage". [5] Parts of the footage were used in the second impeachment trial of Donald Trump. CNN, NBC News, Australian Broadcasting Corporation and The Washington Post were among the media outlets that paid Sullivan for his video. [56] [57] [58] [59]

When entering the Capitol, Sullivan was accompanied by Jade Sacker, a Los Angeles-based independent documentary filmmaker, [60] [ better source needed ] who was filming John Sullivan as part of a documentary on him and his brother, James. [61]

Conviction

Sullivan was convicted on November 16, 2023 by a jury in the District of Columbia of five felonies and two misdemeanor charges related to his conduct during the Jan. 6, 2021 breach of the U.S. Capitol. [62] On April 23, 2024 Sullivan was sentenced to 6 years in prison. [63]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Foulger, Matthew. "AFFIDAVIT IN SUPPORT OF CRIMINAL COMPLAINT AND ARREST WARRANT". U.S. Department of Justice. Archived from the original on 14 January 2021. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Mackey, Robert (14 January 2021). "John Sullivan, Who Filmed Shooting of Ashli Babbitt in Capitol, Detained on Federal Charges". The Intercept. Retrieved 2021-01-15. Sullivan, who began calling himself "Activist John" last summer
  3. ↑ Jackman, Tom (November 16, 2023). "Rioter or journalist? Man who said he was only filming Jan. 6 convicted". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Marantz, Andrew (February 3, 2021). "When Reporting Becomes a Defense for Rioting". The New Yorker . Retrieved February 15, 2021.
  5. 1 2 "J. Hoberman on Jayden X's Shooting and Storming of the US Capitol in Washington DC". Artforum. 15 January 2021. Retrieved 2021-02-15.
  6. 1 2 3 Okoren, Nicolle (27 July 2020). "The birth of a militia: how an armed group polices Black Lives Matter protests". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 January 2021. Sullivan, one of the few black men organizing for racial justice in Utah, is not from Provo but Sandy, a suburb of Salt Lake City.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Gehrke, Robert (16 January 2021). "What we know about John Sullivan, charged with rioting at the U.S. Capitol". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
  8. ↑ "Meet John: An Aspiring Speed Skater". Uber Blog. 4 August 2016. Archived from the original on 8 January 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  9. 1 2 "This man turned in his own brother for his involvement in the Capitol insurrection". Wusa9.com. 21 January 2021. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
  10. ↑ "James Sullivan talks about Jan 6th......The Truth - YouTube". YouTube .
  11. ↑ "About Insurgence USA". Archived from the original on 2021-01-07. Retrieved 2020-01-17.
  12. ↑ "Two more charged in Provo protest that turned violent". Deseret News. 13 July 2020. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  13. ↑ "Organizer of Provo protest arrested, accused of rioting, making threats". Deseret News. 10 July 2020. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  14. 1 2 3 4 Tom Jackman; Marissa J. Lang; Jon Swaine (16 January 2021). "Man who shot video of fatal Capitol shooting is arrested, remains focus of political storm". The Washington Post. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  15. ↑ Bink, Addy (14 January 2021). "Utah activist who provided video of deadly D.C. riot to investigators arrested". KTVX. The criminal complaint filed against Sullivan lists him as the "leader of an organization called Insurgence USA through which he organizes protests". According to Sullivan's website, Sullivan was in the U.S. Capitol in early January when rioters violently entered the building.
  16. ↑ Knox, Annie (4 August 2020). "Utahn charged with shooting at driver during Provo protest ordered to pay higher bail or return to jail". Deseret News . Retrieved 2021-01-15.
  17. ↑ Roberts, Alyssa (3 July 2020). "Police: Man arrested for shooting at Provo protest is known". KUTV. Some, including an organizer with Insurgence USA, indicated they believe the driver who was shot was trying to drive into protesters who were blocking the road. "After seeing the violence... and everything that transpired that day, it came to my realization that this place needed it the most, because nowhere in Salt Lake City have I seen that just blatant hatred, people trying to run people over. Just disrespectful," John Sullivan told 2News.
  18. 1 2 Reavy, Pat (10 July 2020). "Organizer of Provo protest arrested, accused of rioting, making threats". Deseret News .
  19. ↑ Richardson, Ryan. "Top Utah County stories (2): Provo protests inspire state legislation". Daily Herald (Utah) . Archived from the original on 2021-01-15. Retrieved 2021-01-08. One of the organizers of the event, 25-year-old John Earle Sullivan of Sandy, was also taken into custody for his involvement in the unlawful assembly. The protest was considered unlawful because organizers had not received a permit for the event, according to arrest documents. Sullivan and his organization, Insurgence USA, reportedly promoted the event online and made social media postings that advocated for other protesters to join. Authorities alleged that Sullivan committed riotous acts as a protest organizer, and he was arrested under the suspicion of third-degree felony rioting, class A misdemeanor criminal mischief and class B misdemeanor threat of violence.
  20. ↑ Far-right: Fascist: Men only: Political violence:
    • "Proud Boys". Southern Poverty Law Center. Archived from the original on October 16, 2018. Retrieved October 16, 2018.
    • Lowry, Rich (October 19, 2018). "The Poisonous Allure of Right-Wing Violence". National Review. Archived from the original on October 22, 2018. Retrieved November 13, 2018. McInnes is open about his glorification of violence. In a speech, he described a clash with Antifa outside a talk he gave at NYU last year: 'My guys are left to fight. And here's the crucial part: We do. And we beat the crap out of them.' He related what a Proud Boy who got arrested told him afterward: 'It was really, really fun.' According to McInnes: 'Violence doesn't feel good. Justified violence feels great. And fighting solves everything.'
  21. ↑ Walker, Sean. "'A small compromise goes a long way': Counter-protesters ask for unity with Provo group". Ksl.com. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
  22. ↑ "A Few Hundred Proud Boys Rally in North Portland, Surrounded by Police". Willamette Week . 26 September 2020. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
  23. ↑ "The organized far-right threat on Jan. 6 comes into sharper focus". The Washington Post . Retrieved 5 February 2022.
  24. ↑ "Proud Boy members and counter protesters gather in Portland" . Retrieved 5 February 2022– via YouTube.
  25. ↑ Ewan Palmer (23 July 2020). "20 men with guns confront solo armed black protester at Utah Capitol". Newsweek . Retrieved 2021-01-15.
  26. ↑ Cox, Erin (14 January 2021). "Utah activist John Sullivan arrested for involvement in Capitol riot". Fox 13 News Utah (Kstu). Retrieved 2021-01-15.
  27. ↑ Ruiz, Michael (8 January 2021). "BLM activist inside Capitol claims he was 'documenting' riots, once said 'burn it all down'". Fox News. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
  28. ↑ @BGOnTheScene (August 28, 2020). "Speeches in Black Lives Matter Plaza in DC, with one Salt Lake City organizer calling to pull Trump out of the Whit…" (Tweet). Retrieved 5 February 2022– via Twitter.
  29. 1 2 3 "James Sullivan talks about Jan 6th......The Truth - YouTube". YouTube .
  30. ↑ "Man cited for allegedly pepper spraying protesters at Black Lives Matter rally in West Valley City".
  31. ↑ Curt Devine; Majlie de Puy Kamp; Scott Glover (16 January 2021). "Giuliani uses unfounded 'Antifa' argument to defend Trump". Cnn.com. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
  32. ↑ "Video shows fatal shooting of Ashli Babbitt in the Capitol". Washington Post via Seattle Times . 8 January 2021. John Sullivan, a liberal activist who shoots video at a range of protests and who filmed the footage on Wednesday
  33. ↑ Ruiz, Michael. "BLM activist inside Capitol claims he was 'documenting' riots". Fox News. Sullivan says he was standing near Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt when she was shot and killed in the Capitol, and video appears to show him on the scene.
  34. 1 2 3 Donaldson, Amy; Glass, Brittany (7 January 2021). "Utah activist inside U.S. Capitol says woman killed was first to try and enter House chamber". Deseret News. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
  35. ↑ "When Reporting Becomes a Defense for Rioting". The New Yorker. 3 February 2021. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
  36. ↑ "Lawmakers Will Resume Counting Electoral College Votes After Pro-Trump Rioters Stormed Capitol; Interview With Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT); U.S. Capitol Secured, Woman Dead After Rioters Stormed Halls Of Congress To Try To Block President-Elect Biden's Win". January 6, 2021.
  37. ↑ "Activist John Sullivan on CNN Anderson Cooper discussing US Capitol riots - YouTube". YouTube .
  38. ↑ McCarthy, Bill (January 8, 2021). "Facebook posts wrongly claim left-wing activist, antifa 'incited' US Capitol mob". PolitiFact . Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  39. ↑ "Utah Man Charged in Federal Court Following Events at the United States Capitol". justice.gov. 14 January 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  40. ↑ Matthew B. Foulger (13 January 2021). "AFFIDAVIT IN SUPPORT OF CRIMINAL COMPLAINT AND ARREST WARRANT". justice.gov. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  41. ↑ "Criminal complaint". justice.gov. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  42. ↑ Isaac Hale (16 January 2021). "Man arrested during Provo protests back in custody related to Capitol breach". Daily Herald. Archived from the original on 16 January 2021. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  43. ↑ Ariane Datil (16 January 2021). "Utah man who recorded nearly 2 hours of his participation in Capitol riots arrested". WUSA9. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  44. ↑ Dennis Romboy (15 January 2021). "Judge releases Utahn charged in U.S. Capitol riot despite objections". Deseret News. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  45. ↑ Reavy, Pat (January 14, 2021). "Salt Lake Valley man charged federally for alleged role in U.S. Capitol riot". Deseret News . Retrieved January 14, 2021. A Sandy man who participated in a pro-Trump rally at the U.S. Capitol that turned into a violent attack has been charged for his alleged involvement that day. John Earle Sullivan, 25, was charged federally on Wednesday with being on restricted property, civil disorder and "violent entry or disorderly conduct", according to a complaint filed in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia.
  46. ↑ Eppolito, Sophia (15 January 2021). "Utah activist who filmed Capitol shooting released from jail". Associated Press, Report for America. The Spectrum . Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  47. ↑ Tabin, Sara (16 January 2021). "Utah's John Sullivan, accused of taking part in riot at U.S. Capitol, is out of jail". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  48. ↑ Herndon, Astead W. (17 January 2021). "How Republicans Are Warping Reality Around the Capitol Attack". The New York Times. Retrieved 18 January 2021. Reached by email, the site's founder, Jim Hoft, did not reply to questions but did send along several of his own news articles related to claims of antifa involvement in the Capitol attack — citing the case of a man named John Sullivan, whom the right-wing media has dubbed an "antifa leader" in efforts to prove its theory of infiltration. He was the same man cited by Giuliani in tweets that threatened to "expose and place total blame on John and the 226 members of antifa that instigated the Capitol 'riot'."
  49. ↑ "Rudy W. Giuliani auf Twitter: "Why wasn't this presented to the witch Hunt Impeachment Congress. Because they have no interest in the truth that riots had nothing to do with the Trump speech. They were organized before speech and carried out on their own by groups like ANTIFA trained to riot.… https://T.co/VIHJceQfoI"". twitter.com. Archived from the original on 15 January 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2022.{{cite web}}: External link in |title= (help)
  50. ↑ Curt Devine, Majlie de Puy Kamp and Scott Glover (16 January 2021). "Giuliani uses unfounded 'Antifa' argument to defend Trump". CNN.
  51. ↑ Alba, Davey (January 8, 2021). "F.B.I. says there is no evidence antifa participated in storming the Capitol". The New York Times.
  52. ↑ "PolitiFact - Facebook posts wrongly claim left-wing activist, antifa 'incited' US Capitol mob". @politifact.
  53. ↑ Jackman, Tom; Lang, Marissa J.; Swaine, Jon. "Man who shot video of fatal Capitol shooting is arrested, remains focus of political storm". The Washington Post.
  54. ↑ Dickinson, Tim (14 January 2021). "'I Don't Think She Deserved to Die': Black Activist Who Filmed Ashli Babbitt Shooting Speaks Out". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on 13 January 2021. Retrieved 15 January 2021. John Sullivan was arrested and charged on January 14th, according to the Department of Justice, with "one count of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, one count of violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, and one count of interfering with law enforcement engaged in the lawful performance of their official duties incident to and during the commission of civil disorder." An FBI affidavit discounts Sullivan's claim to be a journalist ... John Sullivan, a.k.a. Jayden X, is a civil rights activist and crowdfunded video journalist ... Sullivan's profile is unique: The 26-year-old is a resident of Utah and a former competitive speed skater who participated in the 2018 Olympic trials.
  55. ↑ "Memorandum in Opposition – #29 in United States v. SULLIVAN (D.D.C., 1:21-cr-00078)". CourtListener.com. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
  56. ↑ "U.S. seizes $90,000 from man who sold footage of U.S. Capitol riot". Reuters. May 21, 2021.
  57. ↑ "Government Defends Seizure of $90k from Capitol Siege Defendant Who Sold Video to CNN, NBC". Lawandcrime.com. May 22, 2021.
  58. ↑ Tom Jackman, Marissa J. Lang & Jon Swaine (Jan. 16, 2021), "Man who shot video of fatal Capitol shooting is arrested, remains focus of political storm, The Washington Post: "Sullivan sold The Washington Post rights to use a portion of his video for a story on the shooting."
  59. ↑ (Feb. 16, 2021), "United States v. SULLIVAN Memorandum in Support of Pretrial Detention — Document #14" District Court, District of Columbia Docket Number: 1:21-cr-00078
  60. ↑ "About". Jade Sacker. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  61. ↑ "Woman in video at Capitol with arrested activist is not with CNN". AP News. 15 January 2021. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  62. ↑ "Utah Man Found Guilty of Felony Obstruction and Other Charges During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach". November 16, 2023.
  63. ↑ Hsu, Spencer S. (2024-04-26). "Utah man who recorded fatal Jan. 6 Capitol shooting sentenced to 6 years". Washington Post. ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved 2024-04-27.
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