IT’S ALL BAD.
For the second time this year, a South OC Republican Club has invited this violent Jan. 6 insurrectionist to speak, share his wisdom, give inspiration – this Jeffrey Scott Brown of Santa Ana, who was convicted of pepper-spraying Capitol Police “at close range.” and sentenced to 54 months.
MY main concern is how did one of the nation’s two major Parties – the Republicans of course – become a Party that celebrates this violent behavior against law enforcement officers (not to mention in the service of trying to overthrow a legitimate election, trying to overthrow the votes of you and me.) For the first few years it seemed like your average Republican found the Insurrection a little embarrassing, and maybe scary – when they weren’t trying to blame it on someone else, make excuses for it or urge folks to forget about it, they sure didn’t celebrate it and seemed to admit it was folks on their side going a little too far.
But since the tyrant’s tragic second election, and his pardoning of these thousands of thugs, it seems your average Republican is looking at it differently – maybe these folks were right, maybe they were doing what they had to do, maybe they are even heroes! Inviting thugs like Jeffrey (JSB) to speak at political events both helps rehabilitate them in the public mind and history, and also redefines the GOP as a Party that accepts and embraces political violence, amirite?
This is the second time this year this JSB clown gets to do his shtick in the south county – it made quite a stir in February when the Laguna Woods Republicans feted him, a lot of local folks protested outside the event, and brand new blogger on the block Jeff Pearlman wrote FOUR stories about it! To wit:
- Why would local Republicans back a dude who pepper-sprayed police?
- Why would the Orange County GOP support this?
- A man who maced a Capitol Police Officer is speaking in Laguna Woods in 2 days, and
- The President of Laguna Woods Republicans regrets having missed out on Jan. 6 – in which he shared actual leaked footage of the event.
THIS time – and it’s going on right now – the Republican Club of some over-55 Mission Viejo community called Casta del Sol is featuring JSB, and a bunch of folks from THERE are raising hell – they sent me a press release and a whole bunch of supporting JSB material last week.
I’ll be hearing back from them this afternoon and posting a report and pictures, but the Good Folks of Casta Del Sol have already had at least one success with this: Apparently JSB is also an INSATIABLE GRIFTER like so many COVID-era anti-mask proselytizers, and was trying to make money off his Casta visit – A FUNDRAISER FOR JEFFREY SCOTT BROWN! – and the Casta board nixed that swindle.
While we wait to hear how the anti-JSB action today went, let’s ask, why can’t more of these Jan 6 Insurrectionists be more like PAM HEMPHILL?
So many of the thousands who participated and were convicted of the violence that dark day never admitted they did anything wrong – stuck to their guns at least. Many more of them apologized and admitted wrongdoing and having been deceived – some sincerely and some less so, for a little clemency and a lighter sentence. (Some, like Ladera’s Russ Taylor, turned rat on their comrades and one wonders now how that is working out.) But once Trump was back in power, and pardoned nearly everybody, the apologies were retracted, and shame turned to pride.
Except for one noble case – Pam Hemphill, the Idaho “MAGA Granny,” who was convicted of participating Jan 6, and offered a pardon by Trump BUT REFUSED IT, because she had sincerely seen the light and believed she had done wrong. For this, she received this letter from former VP Mike Pence (who if you remember was nearly killed by these thugs) – a letter Pam Hemphill cherishes:
Pam, who knows Jeffrey Scott Brown from way back, says she’s “honored” to be in this story, and “Brown hates me because I shared the truth about him on X, he loves playing the victim, very dangerous man!” But meanwhile back in Mission Viejo…
Update: After the Protest!
.The Good Folks of Casta del Sol were hopefully expecting 75 protesters – they got twice that many, they counted 156! Including a 107-year old Lisa Light whom you can see in the pictures they sent! The Republican / Jeffrey Scott Brown event was originally planned for 3pm, so the protest was planned for 2:30 – but the Republicans sure didn’t want their guests to have to see any unpleasantness or dissent (GOD FORBID as they celebrated a Jan 6 insurrectionist!) so they quickly, secretively, made their event two hours earlier. And afterward they sent Jeff and their guests out through alternate exits so’s to not experience ANY unpleasantness!
Naturally they also called the cops on the protesters – relish THAT irony! And appropriately, the police were very friendly and sympathetic to the protesters, who after all were objecting to a cop-pepper-sprayer. Jeffrey himself was seen taking photos of the protesters, through a window, from the safety of the hall; and he also threatened to SUE one of them. And despite the Casta board’s instructions not to make this a fund-raiser, Grifter Jeff still managed to get his Venmo QR code out to everybody.
The following letter, from one Michael Rosencrantz, addressed to the Mission Viejo Council, was cc’d to me yesterday during the fray:
Dear Mayor and Members of the City Council:
Being a curious person, I’m very interested in finding out the following:
1. Why were there four policemen and four police cars at Casta Del Sol, a 55+ community, today? My understanding is that Ms. Kelley asked that police be sent to our community. (If I am incorrect, I apologize but this is what I heard.) I appreciated the police being in attendance but aren’t their resources better served by being out in the community and taking care of actual criminal acts instead of being in a retirement community on a Sunday afternoon?;
2. Why Jeffrey Scott Brown, a convicted felon, was escorted by police to I assume his vehicle? This seems quite ironic to me given him pepper spraying police on January 6th. Yes, you might say that he was pardoned but in fact he is a felon.; and
3. Why Ryan Sanchez, a white nationalist, was allowed to enter Casta Del Sol? Shouldn’t the police be keeping an eye on people like him, rather than allowing him to enter our premises? This may be beyond your purview but isn’t he the one who is potentially dangerous?
I’d appreciate it if you could respond directly to my questions.
It’s interesting that all of this could have been avoided if the Board of Casta Del Sol had not allowed a felon who tried to overthrow an election and injured police, had not been allowed to speak here. Ultimately, they are responsible for using City resources when it wasn’t necessary.
Thank you for your direct response to my questions.
Sincerely,
Michael Rosenkrantz, Mission Viejo resident.