Jan6: The American Gulag

[grarpamp]

Like the two "Impeachment" proceedings the Democrats launched
against Trump, their Jan6 "committee" is a total partisan sham.


Rep. Gohmert: "Violations Of American Rights" Of Jan. 6 Prisoners "Mind Blowing"

Authored by Patricia Tolson

Jan. 6 prisoner's fiancé recalls: 'We were covered head to toe
from all directions with red laser dots from their assault
rifles'

At a June 15 [140]press conference in Washington, three GOP
representatives joined forces with the Patriot Freedom Project
and family members of Jan. 6 prisoners to call out the injustice
and denial of [141]due process rights for those incarcerated.
According to Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas), the "violations of
American rights" is "mind-blowing."

"We are extremely concerned to see a Department of Justice, not
about justice," Gohmert said at the press conference. "It's
about vengeance. It's about intimidation and the tactics that
we've been seeing from this DOJ and the disregard for rights
coming out of investigations showing the FBI lied, intel lied.
The DOJ lies. It ought to concern every single American."

"As a former felony judge and chief justice, it’s particularly
mind-blowing for me during a time when we should have the most
fair courts in our history. We have more violations of
American’s rights than even under the Hoover FBI," Gohmert
told The Epoch Times in a June 22 interview. "It’s just
incredible. People that have been nominated and confirmed by the
Senate as federal judges, granting warrants that don’t specify
with any particularity—as the Constitution requires—what
they’re for. What’s worse, when they find out they were lied
to under oath by DOJ. But they’re not really bothered. They
don’t do anything about it. For heaven’s sake. Have respect
for your position if you have no respect for yourself."

Also in attendance were Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and
Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.).

According to Cynthia Hughes, founder of the Patriot Freedom
Project, the press conference was "a great day."

"We finally got some support from people in congress, which we
needed," Hughes told The Epoch Times. "We are feeling powerful
and strong."

Hughes also said she was glad to finally have the opportunity to
"personally call out [Rep.] Liz Cheney and know that she could
possibly hear about that."

"Things are finally moving," Hughes said. "I think we moved the
needle. I just looked at representatives and the incredible
women around me and I think we felt more hope than we ever have
in almost 18 months now. It was a good thing."

Family Members Speak

Following the press conference, The Epoch Times was able to
speak with each of the family members to learn the stories of
their loved ones they say the rest of the media refuses to tell.
They want the American people to learn about the citizens their
government has locked away in prison.

[146]Thomas Caldwell

Sharon Caldwell of Berry Hill, Virginia, said she is grateful
for Cynthia Hughes and the Patriot Freedom Project for the
opportunity to have a press conference where she and the wives,
mothers, and family members of Jan. 6 prisoners could speak
about what they are going through.

"Some of us have done interviews on the news but we never really
had the support of Congress people," Caldwell told The Epoch
Times. "I felt like we had that [at the press conference] with
three GOP representatives. It was awesome."

Sharon's husband, [149]Thomas Caldwell, has been charged
with "Seditious Conspiracy Conspiracy to Obstruct an Official
Proceeding Obstruction of an Official Proceeding and Aiding and
Abetting Conspiracy to Prevent an Officer From Discharging Any
Duties Tampering with Documents or Proceedings and Aiding and
Abetting" ([150]pdf).

According to the [151]Save Our Farm website, "the DOJ has
falsely claimed that [Thomas] commanded a group called the `Oath
Keepers' to overthrow the U.S. government.  The allegations are
ridiculous and outrageous."

According to Save Our Farm, the government has already been
forced to admit several mistakes in its investigation:

* Tom was NEVER “Commander” of a group called the “Oath
Keepers”, nor was he ever a “Leader” or a “member”
of this group.
* Tom did NOT enter the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
* Tom did NOT commit any acts of violence, damage any
property, or threaten anyone, including law enforcement.
* Tom did NOT participate in a plan to enter the U.S. Capitol
on January 6, 2021.

But since his incarceration, he has been "subjected to solitary
confinement, physical and mental abuse, and denial of medical
care, including life-sustaining prescription medications."

The cost of his defense is about to cost the family the historic
family farm he has lived on since he was a child. They have a
[154]donation website for those who want to help.

"I think that's something the American people need to hear
because I think they're not hearing it," Sharon said. "Our loved
ones are not being viewed as human beings. I think I can safely
say this for most of us, I feel we and our loved ones are being
treated like political pawns and not as actual people. They're
undergoing character assassination and there is so much good in
these people who are rotting in these jails who have no criminal
history, not even a traffic ticket in many cases and they're
being held in pre-trial detention for over a year, 17 months in
some cases. It's crazy."

[157]Ryan Nichols

Bonnie Nichols said her husband Ryan has been "incarcerated in
the D.C. gulag" for 514 days, "in prolonged solitary confinement
under torturous conditions." From his four years as a Marine,
Bonnie said Ryan suffers from PTSD and the prolonged solitary
confinement only exacerbates his condition. Ryan faces [158]11
charges, including multiple infractions with the words "Deadly
or Dangerous Weapon," attached. Lesser charges include
"Parading, Demonstrating, or Picketing in a Capitol Building."

"He has been denied access to due process rights, access to his
discovery to defend his case, and he has been denied access to
nutritional food and sunlight for months," she asserted. "The
narrative they are painting of my husband isn't accurate. He's
not an insurrectionist."

According to Bonnie, Ryan owns a nonprofit called [159]Rescue
The Universe. He goes around the country rescuing people and
animals during natural disasters like hurricanes, floods, and
tornados. In 2018, Ryan was seen on multiple news outlets
[160]rescuing six dogs abandoned by their owner in a locked
chain-link cage in Leland, North Carolina.

"He's a hero in his community," Bonnie said. "He just went to
the Capitol to peacefully protest. I never thought in a million
years this would be happening to our family."

Bonnie and Ryan have two children, ages five and eight. A few
months ago, she said the youngest told his dad he didn't think
he was ever going to see his daddy again. He doesn't even
remember what daddy looks like.

"It was heartbreaking," Bonnie said. "My family is suffering. He
was the breadwinner in the family and I just can't believe that
a Marine who served his country would be treated this way in
America. It's unjust. It's unconstitutional. It's wrong."

Like many other Jan. 6 prisoners, defendants, and their family
members, Bonnie is convinced "there's no way we're going to get
a fair trial in D.C. with the narrative the January 6 Committee
and the DOJ are painting in the media. The committee and the
media have edited video footage and shared it with the public,
specific parts have been cropped out of that footage. It was
done to strategically push a one-sided narrative. America
deserves the truth.

"So I have decided to stand up and share my story to awaken
America to the truth about what's happening in our country so
people can do their research and realize there's more than one
side to the story. Our Constitutional Rights, our freedom of
speech is under attack. We need to come together and agree that
this justice system is abusing their powers. Families have been
tortured over this."

As Bonnie explained, they have received hate mail. They had to
shut down their business for several months due to hate mail,
harassment, and attacks from news media stations like CNN and
other people on the left just because of what they've heard on
the news.

"Something needs to be done about it," Bonnie demanded. "For
those in Congress, who swore an oath to defend the Constitution,
it's time for them to do their jobs and to fight for these
families. No American should be treated this way. Death row
inmates, prisoners at Guantanamo Bay get treated better. They
have rights. We are supposed to have rights here in America and
were aren't getting them an no one is doing a damn thing about
it." They have a [163]GiveSendGo account established for those
who want to help with Ryan's ongoing legal expenses.

[164]Robert Morss: AKA `Lego Man'

Angela Morss said her son, Robert, is a good man. He is a former
Army Ranger who loves his country. He has no criminal history
and he "treats others with respect." He is also known as "Lego
Man."

[165]January 6 prisoner Robert Morss, also known as "The Lego
Man," faces multiple charges related to his presence in
Washington, D.C. during the January 6, 2021
protests.

"He has loved Legos since he was a little boy," Angela
reminisced. "He has thousands and thousands of them and he
always had these massive containers of Legos, which I had to
move."

In fact, Angela said her son has so many giant containers of
Legos, she had to move them to a storage unit.

"When he was arrested they said he had a Capitol Building in his
home built out of Legos," Angela noted. "He did not. The FBI is
trying to make this huge deal out of him having a Capitol
Building built out of Legos but they just had the box and that's
what they have a picture of. But it did get him the nickname of
Lego Man, which he's actually proud of."

"Robert wants people to know he is political prisoner," Angela
said, " and he doesn't want people to forget about him or the
other political prisoners, because if we forget about them it
would be a devastating thing for our country."

When Robert was arrested on July 11 at his home in Pennsylvania,
Angela was at her home in Nevada. He has now been incarcerated
for over a year. His attorney has made several unsuccessful
efforts to have him released on bond. She said one of the main
reasons why they have refused to allow him bond "is because of
his elite soldier status. The government recruited him and
trained him and now they are using that against him. He spent
the first several months of his incarceration at the D.C. gulag
where the conditions are just horrifying. He's no longer in D.C.
because he was assaulted by five guards. It was in retaliation
for a meeting he had with his attorney. It was after the meeting
with his attorney, as Robert was strip-searched, that the
assault took place. There were sexual components to it," Angela
added.

After that, they went to court and Robert was immediately
transferred to Northern Neck Regional Jail, which is "dorm
style."

When Robert gets out, Angela said they both want to do something
"that would make life in prison not so horrible." The idea came
to him when he received a birthday card that prison officials
destroyed. "The googly eyes had been ripped off and the little
noise things that were in it had been ripped out, too." She and
Robert want to work with someone like the online card
company [169]Day Spring, in order "to make cards that speak to
people who are incarcerated" and reflect themes only they would
find the humor in.

"For example, they eat a lot of sardines," Angela said. "There
are so many funny things you say about sardines and being in
prison that other people wouldn't understand. To find a birthday
card for someone who is in prison is very difficult. I just want
to make some communication that would be positive and I hope
someone will reach out and want to do that with me." Angela has
set up a [170]GiveSendGo account to help cover her son's ongoing
legal expenses.

[171]Jack Wade Whitton

Haley McLean said the "shock and awe campaign" the government is
conducting against Jan. 6 protesters and their families "is
totally unnecessary."

Her fiancé, Jack Wade Whitton, is faced with 22 charges
([172]pdf), including multiple counts of violent entry with a
deadly or dangerous weapon, those being "a baton, a flag pole,
and crutch."

"I would say it's a form of bullying," Haley told The Epoch
Times. "When they arrested my husband it was two months after
they first called him. The FBI called him in February of 2021
and he had a lawyer call to speak to them on his behalf. At the
time he didn't have charges against him but they advised that if
they file charges he would be able to turn himself in. We never
heard back from them until they showed up at their house just
before 7 a.m."

According to Haley, a flood of people came into their driveway
and surrounded their home. There was a Humvee there with a
battering ram. There were men in paramilitary gear surrounding
the house. Conservatively, she said Jack estimated there to be
around 40 agents.

"We were covered head to toe from all directions with red laser
dots from their assault rifles," Haley reflected. "I felt that
would be the last day I ever saw Jack. I thought they were going
to kill him. When he went outside, they screamed for him to put
his hands up. They kept screaming for him to freeze and put his
hands up but he was doing that. He did exactly what they said
but they acted like he wasn't doing it. He was cooperating. It
kept escalating and they kept repeating themselves and I thought
they were going to kill him. But they didn't, and when they took
him away it was the last time I saw him."

[177]A message received by Haley McLean on April 13, 2021, from
Jack Wade Whitton from prison, revealing he had planned to
propose "that weekend."

"My home hasn't been the same," Haley said, crying. "They just
took away any sense of peace, any sense of hope. He's been
denied bond. He has no criminal history. He owned and operated a
fencing company that has folded in his absence. We've lost
everything."

For those who want to help, Bonnie has set up a [179]GiveSendGo
account.

[180]Matthew Perna

Geri Perna of Port Charlotte, Florida, is the aunt of Matthew
Perna.

"My nephew walked through the Capitol on January 6 and he went
through an open door, ushered in by Capitol Police, took
pictures with his cell phone, and chanted, `USA, USA,"` Geri
told The Epoch Times. "He later found out that his picture was
on the FBI's website and he turned himself in immediately. He
was never jailed. He was released and he obtained a lawyer."

[181]Matthew Perna, the January 6 defendant who faced mounting
charges related to his presence at the January, 6, 2021 protest
in Washington, D.C., committed suicide.
Matthew Perna holds the little boy he met
during a mission trip to Haiti. At first, the boy would not
smile or talk. They bonded, and a week later he was attached to
Matthew.

According to the Criminal Complaint ([183]pdf), Matthew was
charged with "Obstruction of an Official Proceeding, Aiding and
Abetting, Entering and Remaining in a Restricted Building or
Grounds, Disorderly and Disruptive Conduct in a Restricted
Building or Grounds and Disorderly Conduct in a Capitol
Building."

Initially, Geri said Matthew was charged with misdemeanors. But
later they added the felony charges of obstruction of Congress.

"It became a nightmare for Matt," Geri recalled. "It was a year
of constant delays and postponements for his hearings and he got
to the point where it was mentally exhausting."

In order for the ordeal to end sooner, Geri said Matthew's
attorney advised him to plead guilty. So he plead guilty. About
a week before his sentencing Matthew found out the government
was planning to add a terrorist enhancement, which would have
increased his sentence drastically from six to 12 months to five
to six years.

"That Friday night [on Feb. 25] at 5:30, he went into his garage
and he hung himself," Geri said tearfully. "He could not handle
this anymore. He was a wonderful man, 37 years old. He had a
great living. He traveled world wide. He didn't have a hateful
bone in his body."

While on a mission trip to Haiti, Geri said Matthew met a little
boy who "wouldn't smile or talk" when they first met. "He bonded
with this boy, and by the end of the week he was attached to
Matt."

He didn't commit any acts of violence while in the Capitol. He
didn't touch anything. He didn't break anything, steal anything,
or have any altercations with anybody at all. He simply
exercised his freedom of speech."

[184]Multiple social media posts linking to [185]Matthew's
obituary have been [186]scrubbed from the internet. Many of the
accounts have been [187]suspended.

Like the others, Geri said the whole ordeal has been a
nightmare. In the wake of [188]Matthew's suicide, family and
friends were forced to pick up the pieces and move on.

[189]Matthew Perna, January 6 defendant who hung himself due to
his fear of being incarcerated for over a decade.

"So many people have no clue of how January Sixers are being
treated," she said. "They have no clue that they are sitting in
jails and haven't been convicted of a crime. They are clueless
because of the media and our government and I am fighting for
the justice Matthew did not receive while he was alive."

To retain an attorney to fight for what happened to her nephew
and to provide assistance to other Jan. 6 prisoner families,
Geri has set up [191]a website called Justice For Matthew.

The press conference proved to be a bittersweet day for Geri.
While she is grateful they all had an opportunity to tell their
stories, she said they all have one thing she doesn't have.

"Hope," she said, her voice breaking with emotion. "They still
have hope. I have no hope left. My nephew is gone. There is no
hope of him ever coming back. Unless people wake up and unless
there are more than three Republican Congress people speaking
out for these J-6ers, there will be more death. There will be
more people who do what Matt did because they are tormenting
them mentally. The human spirit can only take so much. I miss my
nephew terribly and the world lost a wonderful human being. They
are all human beings but our Department of Justice is not
treating them as such and it's a shame. It's a tragedy of epic
proportions. Never had a speeding ticket. Never had a parking
ticket or a DUI. Now suddenly he was facing a lengthy prison
term and he was terrified, and rightfully so, because the way
these J-Sixers are being treated in prison is unconstitutional.
It's inhumane, and my nephew was terrified to be in that
position and he took his own life. Not because he was a coward,
but because they broke him."

[192]Patricia Tolson
[193]Patricia Tolson
Reporter
Follow
Patricia Tolson, an award-winning national investigative
reporter with 20 years of experience, has worked for such news
outlets as Yahoo!, U.S. News, and The Tampa Free Press. With The
Epoch Times, Patricia’s in-depth investigative coverage of
human interest stories, election policies, education, school
boards, and parental rights has achieved international exposure.
Send her your story ideas: [194]patricia.tolson at epochtimes.us


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