Life’s a Snitch: Austin activist admits he infiltrated RNC protest group
December 31st, 2008 at 11:02 pm
A well-known Austin activist fingered as an FBI informant has acknowledged that he provided information leading to the arrest and felony indictment of two Austin men who participated in protests last September at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, MN.
“The simple truth is that I have chosen to work with the Federal Bureau of investigation [sic],” Brandon Darby said in an open letter he sent this week to friends he has worked with since 2002.
Darby’s activist network stretches from Austin to New Orleans, where he co-founded Common Ground Relief, a grassroots reconstruction effort that drew thousands of volunteers from around the country. In 2004, he helped organize and was arrested during anti-Halliburton protests in Houston. His letter suggests that he disagreed with tactics some members of the Austin Area Affinity Group planned to use to disrupt the Republican Convention. Darby was a member of the group.
“When people act out of anger and hatred, and then claim that their actions were part of a movement or somehow tied into the struggle for social justice only after being caught, it’s damaging to the efforts of those who do give of themselves to better this world,” reads Darby’s letter.
Darby’s fellow activists say they identified him as “CHS 1” – confidential human source 1 – after reviewing an affidavit (PDF) by FBI agent Christopher Langert that was released in discovery in the case against David Guy McKay, 22, and Bradley Neal Crowder, 23. They say information described in the affidavit came from conversations between McKay and Darby.
The informant told Langert that McKay and Crowder fashioned protest shields made from cutting traffic barrels in half. After describing how police seized these items from a trailer the two helped drive from Austin to St. Paul, Langert refers to conversations gathered when the informant wore a wire to record McKay talking about how he and Crowder had made Molotov cocktails, using tampons soaked in lighter fluid for wicks.
The Molotov cocktails were among the items seized in a raid that led to felony indictments of McCay and Crowder, now known as the “Texas Two.” They were charged with possession of unregistered firearms (the cocktails). Information gathered by Darby may have contributed to broader charges against eight others from around the country for conspiracy to riot and conspiracy to damage property in the furtherance of terrorism.
Several of Darby’s friends initially defended him against accusations that he was an informant, but after they acquired additional court documents from sources close to the case against McCay and Crowder, they confronted him days before he went public.
“I don’t feel like I lost my credibility,” says longtime Austin-based activist Scott Crow. “But I staked my credibility defending him, and people backed me up.” Now that Darby has gone public, Crow is ready to go on the offensive.
“While it is not yet clear how long or to what extent Darby has been acting as an informant, the emerging truth about Darby’s malicious involvement in our communities is heart-breaking and utterly ground-shattering to some of us who were closest to him,” says Crow, who in 2005 co-founded Common Ground Relief with Darby.
Activists in St. Paul with the RNC Welcoming Committee posted a video in October 2007 that showed a tongue-in-cheek use of a Molotov cocktail to light a barbeque. Langert’s affidavit states that Darby had been working with the FBI since November 2007.
Crow and another member of the group claim the additional court documents – which the group has so far declined to make public - show Darby actively encouraged, enabled and provoked McKay and Croder to take illegal action. Crow asserts that Darby “hadn’t even met these guys yet” when he began reporting to the FBI. “How can you know they’re going to plan something,” he asks, “if you hadn’t met them yet?”
McCay’s father has previously argued that his son was naïve and gullible.
McCay and Crowder have been denied bail and remain in federal detention in St. Paul. Their trial date has been postponed indefinitely. They each face seven to 10 years in prison.
–Renee Feltz is a fellow at the Toni Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism and an intern with the investigative unit at The New York Times.
January 1st, 2009 at 1:06 pm
[…] by Sparki in RAN General on January 1st, 2009 A well-known Austin activist and co-founder of Common Ground Relief in New Orleans admitted this week to working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation […]
January 1st, 2009 at 1:44 pm
[…] Published by Sparki, January 1st, 2009 global warming In a newly published Texas Observer article, reporter Renee Feltz reports on how a well-known Austin activist and co-founder of Common Ground […]
January 2nd, 2009 at 4:02 am
[…] Darby, co-founder of Common Grounds, has publicly admitted to working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and being responsible for the arrest of two activists from Austin, Texas. On Monday he wrote an […]
January 2nd, 2009 at 7:43 pm
It seems clear to me that Mr Darby did not in fact admit to “infiltrating” the Affinity Group. That implies that he approached them with the idea of being an informant or provocateur. This is not what his statement reports. He says that he was there and came to disagree with their tactics.
Since, according to the FBI affidavit, Crowder and McKay had purchased materials for making several Molotov cocktails, I presume that the tactic of which Mr Darby disapproves is fire bombing. He would, of course, be constrained from mentioning this outside the trial since it would relate to evidence in the case.
Historically, when corrupt law officers weave webs of intrigue, they work under veils of secrecy. The fact that Mr Darby has issued this statement at all gives it credibility. There are so many ways that this could go wrong for a supposed “snitch” plot that it wouldn’t be worth it to try to create a false sense of good will. Only a sincere man would be such a loose cannon. This makes it obvious to me that this is not a case of an activist getting queazy and ratting out his friends. This is a case of a friend not allowing his compatriots to potentially harm or kill innocent people while provoking a violent response from the police and possibly causing more injury or killing.
If Crowder and McKay had used fire bombs to disrupt the RNC, it would have given an arrogant administration a further excuse to crack down on dissent. It would have given fuel to the fear-mongering that the powerful use in order to thwart social change and to avoid reform. Such a bombing would have made it vastly easier for Republican pundits to insinuate that all reformers are just terrorists in disguise.
No matter how much I abhor the policy agenda of the Republican Party, even believing that certain elections in this country have been stolen by them, I still believe that they have the same right to free speech as me. Using arson and intimidation to disrupt a political meeting is what I call fascism.
If I found myself in the situation that Mr Darby describes in his statement, I would do just as he did and not allow a violent and intimidating crime to take place. We should at least give Mr Darby the benefit of the doubt until after Crowder and McKay go to court. He can then issue statements with the whole story. Remember “innocent until proven guilty”?
January 4th, 2009 at 12:38 am
It’s times like these that I wish I knew of some left-center source of Texas political news that could provide me with a different perspective and sources on the important Speaker’s race than the ones I get at Burka’s site. Like an Net version of the Texas Observer. Does anyone know where I can find that?
January 4th, 2009 at 10:08 pm
[…] By Renee Feltz Texas Observer Brandon Darby, a well-known Austin activist fingered as an FBI informant has acknowledged that he provided information leading to the arrest and felony indictment of two Austin men who participated in protests last September at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, MN. “The simple truth is that I have chosen to work with the Federal Bureau of investigation [sic],” Brandon Darby said in an open letter he sent this week to friends he has worked with since 2002. Darby’s activist network stretches from Austin to New Orleans, where he co-founded Common Ground Relief, a grassroots reconstruction effort that drew thousands of volunteers from around the country. In 2004, he helped organize and was arrested during anti-Halliburton protests in Houston. His letter suggests that he disagreed with tactics some members of the Austin Area Affinity Group planned to use to disrupt the Republican Convention. Darby was a member of the group. For Full Story […]
January 5th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
Seems to me that Mr. Darbey was not a “professional” informant in that this was not his occupation, as it is for some. He worked and did what he did on a daily basis. Things turned ugly and he turned to the FBI to stop it. They put him back into the middle and used him to gather evidence. This requires him to be registered as an “informant” –a very loaded word which has many negative connotations. Maybe he is just a citizen doing what he felt was the right thing. But of course many people with the “no snitch” outlook on life will paint him as some gov. agent of darkness and as a bad individual.
January 5th, 2009 at 2:47 pm
Mockingbird, while it is nice to try and give folks the benfit of the doubt, and Brandon is notably different than the type of infiltrator/instigator that law enforcement agencies use to try and disrupt social movements, the weight of evidence indicates that Brandon had far from good intentions. Brandon began working with the FBI months before he met McKay and Crowder, so his mission in working with the Feds was not to stop violence, and it quite possibly was to agitate and cause violence.
It is a good question if Brandon was at first a committed activist and then was turned into an informant, or if he always was in cohoots with the Feds. As an activist Brandon had no interest in non-violence, he advocated violence and armed self defence against police and others. Either he was putting on a show, of has become a totally hyocrite. Time will hopefully reveal more about his motivations, but there is enough evidence now to show he became a snitch long before any plans he would find disagreable materialized, and he provided information to the FBI about many more people than were involved in this scenario.
January 5th, 2009 at 7:35 pm
And there’s the rub. Brandon Darby has lost all credibility. Cointelpro never ceased operations against citizens. I met Darby in New Orleans in 2005, shortly after Hurricane Katrina. I know what a commanding presence he is, what a great organizer and leader he was with Common Ground Relief. I’m skeptical about Brandon’s account of why he did what he did. The FBI has a long history of using agents provocateurs, often with disastrous results. Like the CIA, the FBI is a rogue agency committing civil rights abuses, and even cooperating in crimes against humanity. Maybe we’ll eventually learn more about what Brandon’s real role in the FBI has been. During the recent hearing by the House Judiciary Committe on the limitations of the executive branch, a congressman stated that he has an interest in establishing another “Church Committee,” reaching back several administrations.
I would like to know more about the trouble CGR volunteers had here in New Orleans with authorities, and if they now suspect Brandon was behind the harassment.
January 6th, 2009 at 1:57 am
Thank you Bilbo,
You say that the “weight of evidence” indicates that Brandon Darby did not have good intentions. Might I ask that you lay out the supposed evidence that you have weighed?
I have known Brandon Darby since he was 16 years old and I am very familiar with his character and his orientation toward political action. I know that he would gladly die or go to prison before he would act as a provocateur or help suppress political dissent in the way insinuated by his detractors.
If Brandon was cooperating with the FBI before he met McKay and Crowder it proves nothing. The RNC Welcoming Committee (see http://www.nornc.org) for instance, suggested that they were planning to disrupt the RNC by “any means necessary”. Even in a perfect world, officials would be compelled to conduct investigations in order to protect the Republican Party’s constitutional right to hold a public political meeting. How would you feel if neo-fascists were planning to shut down a political meeting over defense of the environment, gay rights or reproductive freedom?
It is important to point out that I’m speaking hypothetically about the supposed evidence that Brandon Darby acted in bad faith. It is not my intention to assert that McKay and Crowder are guilty of the crimes for which they have been indicted. That must be decided by the court and I pray that they have an impartial trial.
Again, the internal details of the case have not been revealed to me, but the weight of evidence appears to show that the investigation uncovered a plot to accomplish the disruption of the RNC by acts of arson. At that point, a conscientious citizen cooperating with officials would have made the acquaintance of those planning to manufacture and deploy the firebombs.
You absurdly state that Brandon “had no interest in non-violence” and is therefore a hypocrite for taking action against any plot at all to commit violence. The fact is that Brandon has previously condoned violent action when necessary to defend innocent people. That is not the same as aggressively attacking an open and peaceful political meeting and endangering innocent people.
In the mean time, Brandon has done a tremendous amount of non-violent work with Common Ground and other organizations. He has also become a father.
If you knew him well and had been in frequent discussions with him as I have, you would know that his orientation toward violence has changed greatly. While I believe that he would still fight to the death to protect innocent people if necessary, it is not hypocritical nor is it surprising that he would try to prevent a violent crime that is both ugly and counterproductive to the social justice movement.
The “good question” remains–and I suppose it is a fair question in light of the history of the FBI vis a vis political protest–as to whether Brandon was originally an FBI snitch or began cooperating out of genuine concern for people’s rights and safety. This will be answered after the trial when all the facts can be brought to light. Until then, I assure you that Brandon Darby was and is an activist first.
(By the way, thank you, GorBud for your remarks).
January 7th, 2009 at 11:19 am
[…] Prominent Austin Activist Admits He Infiltrated RNC Protest Groups As FBI Informant Filed under: Uncategorized — darthchaosofrspw @ 12:19 PM Texas Observer: Life’s a Snitch: Austin Activist Admits He Infiltrated RNC Protest Group http://www.texasobserver.org/blog/index.php/2008/12/31/lifes-a-snitch/ […]
January 7th, 2009 at 2:46 pm
There is no question that malcontents on the Left have put everyone in America at risk. Every man, woman, and child irrespective of race, creed, sex, or religion living in United States is in danger from America’s enemies because of the convoluted views held by these enemies from within. For the most part these social outcasts are ” losers”. They have been unsuccessful at every endeavor be it social, athletic or professional. So instead of looking inward to find peace and solace they strike out at the very community which allows them to sprewed their hatred and venom.
I congratulate Brandon Darby for at least looking for his ” pair”.
January 7th, 2009 at 4:58 pm
[…] The Molotov cocktails were among the items seized in a raid that led to felony indictments of McCay and Crowder, now known as the “Texas Two.” They were charged with possession of unregistered firearms (the cocktails). Information gathered by Darby may have contributed to broader charges against eight others from around the country for conspiracy to riot and conspiracy to damage property in the furtherance of terrorism. MORE […]
January 7th, 2009 at 10:35 pm
Forever Texas,
I respect your right to free speech, but please do all on this public forum a favor and educate yourself before you speak. Too much Rush Limbaugh lately, my friend - step slowly away, you can do it! I love how those on the Right hate government, until it is the police, FBI, CIA or any other type of secretive authority - then the Right blindly supports them. I never understood this phenomenon.
Did you know that, since a 2004 directive by Bush, the FBI has been extensively building its network of US informants, allowed to spy in US citizens on US soil?
http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2007/07/fbi-proposes-bu.html
So, “Forever Texas” go ahead and congratulate the FBI mole for informing against and drumming up false charges against his fellow men who trusted. You know, informants where highly popular in Hitler’s Germany. I learned this in class, yep, neighbors spying and ratting out neighbors and friends to the SS for small, ridiculous actions perceived to be against the “authority”
Be Proud, as I am sure you are. No? You would no sooner let your republic crumble and allow the spying of American citizens so long as it fits in your twisted view of “showing” those darn “lefties”. Huh?
I weep for my nation…Nazi Germany is not far off if citizens support the spying and the snitching on neighbors, and especially if they blindly support agencies such as the FBI/. This is SCARY, people, SCARY. Obama, get on it!
Those “malcontents” on the Left, as you call them, do a tremendous service to this country. Are you denying their freedom to protest? WHY do you call them enemies from within, protesters at the RNC were just exercising their civil liberties.
When the government elected by the People of this nation cease to LISTEN to the demands of the People, the People absolutely have the right to petition their grievances to the Government, and in the course of 8 long years - evidenced by Cheney’s “So?” comments about the Iraq War being unpopular with the people
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SypeZjeOrY4
and the “So?” from Bush about false intelligence/LIES (however you choose to see it, the results are still devastating) it is clear that the leadership of this country hold the People’s views and wishes in contempt. This is the highest treason - BUSH and CHENEY and treasonous anti-constitutional, spying, outlaws at the FBI and CIA (who also torture humans) are traitors to this great nation the USA - a land built on revolution against tyranny and a land of LAWS and a land of FREEDOM. It is treason at the highest level. THEY - Bush, Cheney, lawless FBI - are the enemies from within, so please get your facts straight, friend.
January 8th, 2009 at 6:44 pm
[…] during the process of conversations with these people. (The whole story is here at the Texas Observer.) This is especially troubling because our government has a long history of entrapment, most […]
January 8th, 2009 at 7:37 pm
Every person on this forum is not educated to all the facts so how can anybody speak about this as though they know all the facts?