Georgia man accused of traveling to Tennessee for armed takeover of courthouse
A Georgia man has been arrested in Tennessee--authorities say he headed to Madisonville, armed and prepared to take over the courthouse.
Darren Huff stands charged of traveling in interstate commerce with intent to incite a riot and transporting in commerce a firearm in furtherance of a civil disorder.
The FBI says Huff traveled to Tennessee armed with a pistol on his hip and an assault rifle in his truck, intent on carrying out citizen's arrests of 24 federal, state, and local officials, and on seeing that another man did not face trial for trying to do the same.
This story is unbelievably bizarre. Crooks & Liars has more information, including the information that Huff is a member of “Oath Keepers,” one of those ultra-paranoid right-wing militia groups which crop up every time there’s a Democrat in the White House (C&L has also posted an incredibly bizarre video from this group).
It’s truly strange and I don’t really know what to think about it. Apparently Huff told everyone from the FBI to a bank manager to the acne-faced kid at the local Taco Bell that he and
8 or 9 other militia groups were headed to Madisonville on April 20 to "take over the city." The bank manager said Huff told him he'd see Huff's actions on the noon news.
He was just screaming for attention. And apparently several heavily armed people did show up in Madisonville on April 20 and gathered around the courthouse.
WTF? Did we hear about this, Tennessee?
Their beef seems to be that one of their members was arrested for previously trying to implement an armed takeover of the courthouse at the beginning of April. That guy was pissed that the Grand Jury wouldn’t indict President Obama on charges of treason.
Seriously, Madisonville? Why Madisonville? Did they think an ultra-red county in an ultra-red state would be sympathetic? Do you even file this kind of charge in a county courthouse? Wouldn’t it be the federal courthouse?
Anyway, until now Madisonville was apparently most famous for being the birthplace of Estes Kefauver. Some of you young’uns might need to Google that.
I’m just trying to wrap my head around the idea that a group of right wing militia folks from Georgia were trying to pull off an armed takeover of the Madisonvile courthouse. A teeny weeny town in Zach Wamp’s district, with fewer than 4,000 residents according to the 2000 Census. Isn’t this domestic terrorism?
Dear Georgia, please keep your nuts in your own state. For one thing, Tennessee is a little busy right now dealing with things like massive floods and unemployment and coal ash disasters. For another, we have enough nuts of our own to deal with.
