The Proud Boys' '1776 Returns' plan to overthrow democracy is released in new federal filing

Walter Einenkel

Daily Kos Staff

Wednesday June 15, 2022 · 2:33 PM PDT

2022/06/15 · 14:33

Leader of the Proud Boys Enrique Tarrio (L) and rally organizer Joe Biggs (R) congratulate each other as they return to the march starting-point over the Hawthorn Bridge as "The End Domestic Terrorism" rally at Tom McCall Waterfront Park concludes on August 17, 2019 in Portland, Oregon. - No major incidents were reported on Saturday afternoon in Portland (western USA) during a far-right rally and far-left counter-demonstration, raising fears of violent clashes between local authorities and US President Donald Trump, who was monitoring the event "very closely". (Photo by John Rudoff / AFP) (Photo by JOHN RUDOFF/AFP via Getty Images) — Two guys (Enrique Tarrio on the left, Joe Biggs on the right) who spend a lot of time looking in the mirror.

TAGS

Edit Tags

Tag History

Done Editing Tags

In a Wednesday motion to end his client’s pretrial detention, an attorney for Proud Boy Zachary Rehl filed a damning nine-page document that seems to have been a blueprint guide for the attempted disruption of the congressional certification of President Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory on Jan. 6, 2021.

Titled “1776 Returns,” the guide was found in former head of the Proud Boys Henry “Enrique” Tarrio’s possession. The existence of this document was reported on back in March after prosecutors referred to it in filing charges against Tarrio for a variety of crimes including conspiracy.

Tarrio joined former Oath Keepers leader Elmer Stewart Rhodes in charges that the two men, their organizations, and others conspired with seditious intentions in the weeks leading up to the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol building.

Thursday, Jun 16, 2022 · 12:37:50 PM +00:00 · Jessica Sutherland

Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story incorrectly attributed the release of the ‘”1776 Returns” document to the House Jan. 6 select committee.

Campaign Action

It is known that Tarrio and Rhodes met at least once face-to-face, on the eve of the insurrection. It is known because Tarrio and friends had a filmmaker filming his and the Oath Keepers’ clandestine meeting in a subterranean Washington, D.C., parking garage.

The “1776 Returns” document offers up a five-part plan on what patriots like Tarrio and others needed to do to stop the certification of Biden as president. It highlighted buildings that should be targeted for occupation, including CNN. It included a push to have something called the “Patriot Plan” disseminated to followers and those rioters who were likely not to be organized in the way that the conspirators were.

The document reads almost like a shooting script for what actually transpired that day. It begins with the preparations and reconnaissance around the areas that were likely to be under siege. It includes mention of using fire alarms if needed to allow access into buildings, as well as using emergency alarms in other public places such as hotels, Walmart, and grocery stores as a distraction to law enforcement.

While the “1776 Returns” document does not specifically include plans on attacking the Capitol, the “Patriot Plan” document that it portends would include a coordinated storming of buildings by mobs. It ends with a page running the header “We the People,” in old-timey font, and demands for a new vote to be held on Inauguration Day. At the bottom of the page is a “Special Mention” section. Centered on the page it reads:

“Mitch McConnell, Kevin McCarthy, Mike Pence & Bill Gates

We the people are watching you.

Rand Paul & Ron DeSantis

We the people love you”

It is easy to read this document like little kids playing Benedict Arnold, with access to a word processing program. But this document ends up being a damning piece of evidence when coupled with how closely the MAGA-ites storming the Capitol building seemed to have followed its directions.

We talk to expert Brandi Buchman about everything you need to know for the Jan. 6 committee, hearings, and investigation on Daily Kos' The Brief podcast

Embedded Content

The Proud Boys' '1776 Returns' plan to overthrow democracy is released in new federal filing

Comments are closed on this story.