Lafayette County GOP hosts Jan.6 prisoner charity at Trump support rally in early September
Mississippi Democrat U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson chairs the Select Committee
“What we had on Jan. 6 was clearly a threat to the homeland by people here, who live in this country,” said U.S Rep. Bennie Thompson.
Barbara Gauntt, Mississippi Clarion Ledger
In Mississippi, more than a dozen state residents are currently awaiting trial, or are on trial, in prison or have been released from prison for their roles in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
One group, My Brother’s Keeper Oxford, for the past three years has been organizing donations, resources and gifts for those people while they sit in prison for their crimes relating to an attempt to storm the United States Capitol as Congress was confirming the results of the 2020 Presidential Election.
“I sat there and watched in my home what was happening on Jan. 6, and like most of Americans, I was traumatized,” charity organizer Lori Cyree told the Clarion Ledger. “When I read some stuff and realized that there were some Americans in jail, my heart just went out to them, because I could see them as being average everyday people. I didn’t see them as being some terrible group of people, but just average people who got mixed up in mayhem.”
Cyree said she and her partners have been present and had booths at several conservative events in Mississippi, such as at a Donald Trump support rally in Lafayette County in early September, which featured several state GOP members speaking including Party Chairman Mike Hurst, State Agriculture and Commerce Commissioner Andy Gipson and Congressional Candidate Ron Eller, among other local Republican leaders.
The group has also spoken at a Lafayette County Republican Women and a Conservative Coalition of Mississippi event. However, Cyree said none of the state’s conservative groups have officially endorsed My Brother’s Keeper Oxford.
“For the most part, these Republican clubs don’t welcome us. There is still an uncomfortable topic for most people,” Cyree said.
Hurst told the Clarion Ledger he was unaware the group was at the September rally in Lafayette County, but the state GOP in no way supports people who have been convicted for crimes relating to Jan. 6. Other local party leaders in Lafayette County told the Clarion Ledger they were happy to let Cyree’s group into their events, but the local party does not officially endorse their efforts.
“We the Mississippi Republican Party do not have any affiliation with any groups supporting Jan. 6 (prisoners),” Hurst said. “I view this as a former federal prosecutor, and if the federal courthouse in downtown Jackson, Mississippi, has court security officers, U.S. Marshals and magnometers to prevent people from coming in, and people break through those, they should be prosecuted. It’s even more important if people do that at our United States Capitol building.”
Since 2021, Cyree said she and her partners have helped Jan. 6 prisoners and people awaiting trial with facilitating donations for legal fees, money to put into commissary accounts, shipping books and letters to prisoners, among other things.
On Jan. 6., 2021, hundreds of right-wing participants of a rally held by former President and current Republican Presidential-Nominee Donald Trump, stormed and occupied the U.S. capitol building while Congress was attempting to confirm the 2020 Presidential Election of Joseph Biden, a Democrat. Five people died during and after the riot, including Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick.
Trump later publicly, and as recently as July, said he would pardon rioters who have been convicted.
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Who is in prison right now from Mississippi?
Currently three Mississippi residents are in prison for crimes committed on Jan. 6, 2021.
James McGrew, a former U.S. Marine from Biloxi, is serving a six-year sentence that began in 2022, and he will have three years of supervised release and pay $7,000 fines.
He was convicted of assaulting, resisting or impeding an officer, civil disorders, obstruction of an official proceeding, entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, an act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings, parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building.
Thomas Smith of Greenwood is serving a nine-year sentence beginning in 2023, and he will have three years of supervised release.
Smith was convicted of assaulting officers with a dangerous weapon, obstruction of an official proceeding, two counts of civil disorder, two counts of assaulting, impeding or resisting officers, entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon and engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds with a dangerous weapon, disorderly conduct in the Capitol grounds or buildings and an act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings.
Thomas Webster, who was previously a member of the New York City Police Department, before having his family move to Mississippi and planning to follow, has also received donations from people, facilitated by My Brother’s Keeper Oxford. He is serving a 10-year sentence that began in 2022, and he will have three years of supervised release and pay $2,060 in restitution.
Webster was convicted of forcibly assaulting an officer, obstructing or impeding an officer in the performance of official duties, entering a restricted building, disorderly or disruptive conduct.
Which Mississippi Jan. 6 participants have served their time?
Donnie Wren, Smith’s cousin who was arrested in 2021, served a one-year and one-day sentence that began in 2023. He was convicted of the following: Civil disorder; obstruction of an official proceeding; assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers; entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds; engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly conduct in a Capitol building; act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or building.
Cyree said Wren was released earlier this month.
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Mathew Bledsoe, an Olive Branch resident, was released earlier this year after a two-year prison sentence and is currently under a three-year supervised release. Bledsoe was convicted in 2022 of obstruction of an official proceeding, and four other misdemeanor offenses: Entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a Capitol building; disorderly conduct in a Capitol building; and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building.
What other Mississippi Jan. 6 participants have been charged?
Other than those who have been convicted, there are seven Mississippians awaiting trial: David Staap of Biloxi, Ethan and Tony Bray of Blue Springs, James Knowles of Pass Christian, Thomas Tatum of Greenville and Donnie Walker of Kosciusko.
Lafayette County GOP ties to My Brother’s Keeper Oxford
Lafayette County Republican Party Chairman Ricky Caldwell, who organized the Sept. 5 meeting, said the party does not officially endorse Cyree’s organization but said he is happy about the work she and her fellow volunteers do.
“We don’t just like just go out and endorse the J6 organization, but I know personally, some people that were affected that were in Washington that day,” Caldwell said. “That’s a personal standpoint of mine.”
Lafayette County GOP Executive Committee Member Marni Kendricks said Cyree was doing good work others have not done.
“I’m happy to see efforts made in our little community to do good work and support conservative initiatives and policy, and I’m very happy to see this kind of work going on,” Kendricks said.
Cyree, as well as one of her partners, Marie Thomas, also serve as executive committee members with the Lafayette County Republican Party.
“We are very separate from the executive committee,” Cyree said.
Grant McLaughlin covers state government for the Clarion Ledger. He can be reached at gmclaughlin@gannett.com or 972-571-2335.
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Publish date : 2024-09-24 22:45:00
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