Brandon Michael Darby (born November 2, 1976) is an
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
conservative blogger and activist. He first became known in the fall of 2005 for actions in New Orleans in efforts to help residents, where he was a co-founder of the
Common Ground Collective
The Common Ground Collective is a decentralized network of non-profit organizations offering support to the residents of New Orleans. It was formed in the fall of 2005 in the Algiers neighborhood of the city in the days after Hurricane Katrina r ...
organized there. It coordinated the efforts of hundreds of volunteers from across the country for years.
In late 2008, Darby acknowledged in an open letter that he had acted as an
FBI informant
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and its principal Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement age ...
in infiltrating protest groups before the
2008 Republican National Convention
The 2008 Republican National Convention took place at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota, from September 1, through September 4, 2008. The first day of the Republican Party's convention fell on Labor Day, the last day of the popul ...
, held in
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County, Minnesota, Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississip ...
. He testified in court against two men arrested on plans to commit domestic terrorism.
Darby became increasingly involved in conservative movements, including the
Tea Party movement
The Tea Party movement was an American fiscally conservative political movement within the Republican Party that began in 2009. Members of the movement called for lower taxes and for a reduction of the national debt and federal budget defic ...
, despite not being registered to vote. He served as managing director of
Breitbart
''Breitbart News Network'' (known commonly as ''Breitbart News'', ''Breitbart'', or ''Breitbart.com'') is an American far-rightMultiple sources:
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* syndicated news, opinion, and commentary website founded in mid-2007 by ...
Texas, a
far-right
Far-right politics, also referred to as the extreme right or right-wing extremism, are political beliefs and actions further to the right of the left–right political spectrum than the standard political right, particularly in terms of being ...
news and opinion website.
Biography
Early life
Darby was born in 1976 and raised in
Pasadena, Texas, which is part of
Greater Houston
Greater Houston, designated by the United States Office of Management and Budget as Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land, is the fifth-most populous metropolitan statistical area in the United States, encompassing nine counties along the Gulf Co ...
.
His father was a
refinery welder in Pasadena.
As a teenager, Darby would often
run away
Runaway, Runaways or Run Away may refer to:
Engineering
* Runaway reaction, a chemical reaction releasing more heat than what can be removed and becoming uncontrollable
* Thermal runaway, self-increase of the reaction rate of an exothermic proce ...
from home. He lived in
group homes
A group home, congregate living facility, or care home (the latter especially in British English and Australian English) is a residence model of medical care for those with complex health needs. Traditionally, the model has been used for children ...
in Houston, Texas and the surrounding areas.
He completed a
GED
The General Educational Development (GED) tests are a group of four subject tests which, when passed, provide certification that the test taker has United States or Canadian high school-level academic skills. It is an alternative to the US high ...
. He later took classes to qualify for work as an
emergency medical technician
An emergency medical technician (EMT), also known as an ambulance technician, is a health professional that provides emergency medical services. EMTs are most commonly found working in ambulances. In English-speaking countries, paramedics are ...
(EMT).
Early activism
Following the extensive damage in New Orleans by
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...
in 2005, Darby was among numerous emergency medical personnel who went there in the first weeks to help the residents. With
Malik Rahim
Malik Rahim (born Donald Guyton in 1948) is an American housing and prison activist based since the late 1990s in the New Orleans area of Louisiana, where he grew up. In 2005 Rahim gained national publicity as a community organizer in New Orlean ...
and Scott Crow (the latter from
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the county seat, seat and largest city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson co ...
), he became a co-founder of
Common Ground Relief, a non-profit relief organization that provided supplies and assistance to residents, including medical care, to residents of the city. He helped organize volunteers from across the country over the ensuing weeks and months, as CGR set up emergency clinics, distribution centers, and other aid. From January to April 2007, Darby served as
Director of Operations for the organization.
Malik Rahim, on Democracy Now! claimed to be "heartbroken" at the revelation that Darby was an FBI informant. He also expressed regret at all the women who left Common Ground Relief due to Darby's behavior during his time at the organization, including claims that he sexually assaulted female organizers
2008 Republican Convention activities
Darby started working as an FBI
informant
An informant (also called an informer or, as a slang term, a “snitch”) is a person who provides privileged information about a person or organization to an agency. The term is usually used within the law-enforcement world, where informan ...
in November 2007, to infiltrate groups planning protests at the
2008 Republican National Convention
The 2008 Republican National Convention took place at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota, from September 1, through September 4, 2008. The first day of the Republican Party's convention fell on Labor Day, the last day of the popul ...
in
St. Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississippi River, Saint Paul is a regional business hub and the center o ...
.
He gave the FBI information which led to the seizure of 34 homemade
riot shields brought from Texas.
[Federal Bureau of Investigation, Sept. 8, 2008]
Affidavit by Special Agent Christopher Langert
Two activists from Texas, David McKay and Bradley Crowder, purchased materials for and constructed firebombs (
Molotov cocktails
A Molotov cocktail (among several other names – ''see other names'') is a hand thrown incendiary weapon constructed from a frangible container filled with flammable substances equipped with a fuse (typically a glass bottle filled with flammab ...
) that they appear to have planned to use against state-owned vehicles. Evidence of the firebombs was seized in a raid by local police, which was supported by the FBI.
At McKay and Crowder's trial the question was raised whether Darby encouraged their escalation in violence.
Specific claims about this were made by others in attendance at the protest (e.g., Gabby Hicks stated that Darby was "... the one to suggest violence, when the rest of us clearly disagreed..." and that "
an older seasoned activist, Darby had a lot of sway over Crowder and McKay, making them susceptible to his often militant rhetoric"),
suggesting that Darby acted as an ''
agent provocateur''. A former Darby girlfriend and various former colleagues allege that Darby informed for the FBI not due to patriotism or altruism, but for self-serving motives.
In a December 2008 open letter to his former fellow community organizers and activists, Darby acknowledged having worked as an informant for the FBI.
Neither Crowder nor McKay agreed to testify against the other in court.
Rather than go to trial, Crowder accepted a
plea agreement
A plea bargain (also plea agreement or plea deal) is an agreement in criminal law proceedings, whereby the prosecutor provides a concession to the defendant in exchange for a plea of guilt or '' nolo contendere.'' This may mean that the defendan ...
in 2009 on charges of possessing Molotov cocktails during the convention.
He served 24 months in prison and three years of supervised release.
[Austin, Texas Man Sentenced for Possessing Molotov Cocktails During the Republican National Convention]
Department of Justice Press Release, US Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota, May 14, 2009
McKay took his case to trial, claiming
entrapment
Entrapment is a practice in which a law enforcement agent or agent of the state induces a person to commit a "crime" that the person would have otherwise been unlikely or unwilling to commit.''Sloane'' (1990) 49 A Crim R 270. See also agent provo ...
by Darby. The trial ended with a
hung jury, in a vote of 6-6.
Jury interviews indicated that much of their discussion had concerned assessing the veracity of defendant McKay and witness Darby (the former claiming entrapment, the latter denying). A significant portion of the jury had voted to acquit based on their acceptance of Darby's representation of events.
The prosecutor prepared to retry McKay's case.
Shortly before the retrial date in 2009, McKay accepted a 24-month plea deal sentence for the charges against him. He formally retracted his claim that Darby had entrapped him. Critics have suggested that both McKay and Crowder remained firm in their initial account of events, and that additional documentary evidence supported them. McKay's decision to take the plea deal was based on his awareness that 90% of
federal cases
''Federal Cases, circuit and district courts, 1789–1880'' (in case citations, abbreviated F. Cas.) was a reporter of cases decided by the United States district and circuit courts between 1789 and 1880. It is part of the National Reporte ...
result in convictions, and he was at risk of being sentenced to decades in prison if found guilty.
Following the plea arrangement, McKay pleaded guilty to possession of firearms and
obstruction of justice. He was sentenced to 48 months in prison and three years of supervised release. The length of sentence was attributed to a charge of obstruction of justice, based on McKay's having initially claimed that Darby had entrapped him.
David McKay and Bradley Crowder were still serving jail sentences as of late 2011.
In many left-wing activist communities, Darby has been criticized
and ostracized
for his role in McKay's conviction. He has been welcomed by some conservative organizations as a patriot.
Career
Since 2008 Darby has promoted the
Tea Party
A tea party is a social gathering event held in the afternoon. For centuries, many societies have cherished drinking tea with a company at noon. Tea parties are considered for formal business meetings, social celebrations or just as an afternoon ...
and speaks regularly across the United States, promoting conservative politics.
Representation in other media
Darby is featured in the 2011 documentary film ''
Better This World
''Better This World'' is a 2011 documentary film that was directed by Kelly Duane and Katie Galloway. It had its world premiere at the San Francisco International Film Festival on April 23, 2011, where it won two Golden Gate Awards for Best Documen ...
'', written and directed by Kelly Duayne De La Vega and Katie Galloway. It concentrates on Bradley Crowder and David McKay, and the role of Darby as an informant and potential agent provocateur in radicalizing them. The film explores the role of government at a time of domestic terrorism. It was broadcast nationally on PBS's ''
POV'' series.
He also appeared in the documentary film ''
Occupy Unmasked'' (2012), written and directed by
Steve Bannon. It explored the Occupy Wall Street movement, and presented evidence that the movement was fundamentally violent, and organized to destroy the American government.
References
External links
"Solidarity Not Charity" Common Ground Relief
"The Informant: Revolutionary to rat: The uneasy journey of Brandon Darby" ''Austin Chronicle'', January 22, 2009
"Better This World" (2011) a documentary shown on
PBS
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...
's series ''
P.O.V.
''POV'' (also written ''P.O.V.'') is a Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) public television series which features independent nonfiction films. ''POV'' is an initialism for ''point of view''.
''POV'' is the longest-running showcase on television ...
''
"Turncoat," ''This American Life'' Chicago Public Radio, May 22, 2009
''Informant'' website for 2012 documentary film on Brandon Darby, written and directed by
Jamie Meltzer
Jamie Meltzer is an American movie and documentary film director. He has made "True Conviction", ''"Off the Charts: The Song-Poem Story"'', ''"Welcome to Nollywood"'', ''"La Caminata"'' (a short film), and the feature-length documentary film ''"In ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Darby, Brandon
1976 births
American spies
Breitbart News people
Federal Bureau of Investigation informants
Living people
People from Pasadena, Texas
Activists from Houston