Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters of California expressed outrage in a press release on Friday over the decision by federal Judge Charles B. Day to release an incredibly dangerous white extremist arrested in February.
Christopher Paul Hasson, 49, of Silver Spring, Maryland, is a Coast Guard lieutenant and self-described white nationalist Nazi sympathizer who allegedly had a “hit list” that included Waters and other members of Congress, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren. The list also included members of the press, including CNN’s Don Lemon and MSNBC’s Chris Hayes.
During a search of Hasson’s basement apartment, only miles away from where most of his targets work, federal agents found 15 firearms, including rifles, and over a 1,000 rounds of ammunition. All were recognized as “killing devices,” said one assistant US attorney.
Thomas Windom, an assistant US attorney, showed multiple photos of Hasson’s guns stashed in a closet feet from his bed, and at one point, lifted a weighted vest that police had recovered.
“This is combat gear. There is no reason to have this,” Windom said. “The defendant intended to ... take his weapons and go.”
“He intended to use them in a sniper attack,” Windom said. “These are pure killing devices.”
Agents also uncovered a letter written by Hasson expressing deep admiration for an extreme right-wing Norwegian mass murderer Anders Breivik.
In that same letter, Hasson wrote:
“We need a white homeland as Europe seems lost. How long we can hold out there and prevent n***erization of the Northwest until whites wake up on their own or are forcibly made to make a decision whether to roll over and die or stand up remains to be seen.”
Hasson is not a fan of protests. He also wrote this statement in his letter.
“I was and am a man of action you cannot change minds protesting like that. However you can make change with a little focused violence.”
Hasson faces weapons and drug charges, but has yet to be indicted for anything resembling terrorism or attempted murder.
Rep. Waters, however, boldly calls Hasson a terrorist, and says there is no credible reason he should have been released after he demonstrated that he was clearly a deadly threat to innocent civilians. Judge Day claims his hands were tied, and insisted that “[Hasson’s] got to have a whole lot of supervision. Somebody who's got eyes and ears on him like nobody's business."
Waters feels more could have been done.
“There is no reason this white nationalist should be free to potentially carryout (sic) additional threats if he so desired. I am as disgusted with the judge’s decision to release this menace back into society as I am with the U.S. Attorneys for failing to use every available avenue available to ensure Hasson was kept behind bars until his trial.”
Rep. Waters goes on to say that more and more white supremacists like Hasson are emerging.
“Hasson is but one of a growing list of radicalized white supremacist neo-Nazi sympathizers who are all supporters of President Trump and view it as their mission to vindicate and defend his supremacy – even by means of mass violence and devastation. These extremists are becoming more vocal and brazen in their efforts. I have been the target of several very serious threats from across the country in the last year because of my vocal opposition to the Trump Administration’s policies. There have already been five convictions in these instances, including Cesar Sayoc, another self-described white nationalist who mailed pipe bombs to high profile Democrats last year.”
Not only does Rep. Waters feel the judge’s decision was shameful, but she also feels public figures who oppose Donald Trump must now constantly look over their shoulders—and they cannot look to the Trump administration for help.
“Members of Congress must now recognize that many of us who have taken hardline positions against the Trump Administration are walking targets and we must use every resource at our disposal to protect ourselves since we cannot expect any assistance from the current Administration.”
This is the country we now live in. And until Trump and his cronies are out of office, this is how it will remain. Thankfully, we have strong, fearless, and outspoken members of Congress like Maxine Waters, who cut through the bullshit. When lawmakers and the press have to fear for their lives—just for standing up to a president—and also have a court system that doesn’t protect them, we are entering into an authoritarian and dictatorial government. And that’s unacceptable.