Showing posts with label tony hopfinger. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tony hopfinger. Show all posts

Wednesday, 20 October 2010

Revealed: Joe Miller hired security company whose owner is local commander and supplier of extreme Alaska militia, led by AIP-member Norm Olson


Investigating Joe Miller turns out to be a lot of fun. The skeletons in his closet ALMOST match those of Sarah Palin. However, Sarah is still the Queen of the closet and will probably never be beaten.

I would like to thank our readers Cheeriogirl and BanditBasheert for discovering another scandal which shows again how utterly unsuitable Joe Miller is for any kind of higher office.

Just two days ago, the security company "Dropzone Security Services", owned by William F. Fulton, came into the national headlines after their members detained AK journalist Tony Hopfinger at a town hall campaign event for Joe Miller. "Dropzone Security Services" were hired as private security for Joe Miller, and they failed to catch the hearts and minds of the nation after embarrassing footage of the "arrest" of Tony Hopfinger surfaced. They came across as unprofessional "goons", and the overzealous actions of William F. Fulton and his team did more harm then "good":




William F

William F. Fulton aka "Dropzone Bill": Overzealous and not very bright

There is more. "Dropzone Security Services" is not just a company run by people who are not very clever, but the company is also right at the heart of the "Alaska Citizens Militia" - a group commanded by Norm Olson, who once rose to "fame" as the founder of the Michigan militia. Part of Norm Olson's history are also contacts to Oklahoma bombers Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols, who trained with the Michigian Militia in the past (see here, here and here).

From the very beginning, Norman E. Olson was a radical among radicals. After starting the Michigan Militia in April 1994 as one of the first major militia groups, Olson helped make his home state one of the leading spots for Patriot activity.

He drew widespread attention after reporting Oklahoma City conspirator Terry Nichols had attended one of the meetings of the Michigan Militia, which he claimed counted 12,000 members.

But Olson, a Baptist preacher who spends time in his Alanson gun store wearing a camouflage military outfit, alienated his colleagues after Oklahoma by offering reporters an incredible theory: The Japanese government had bombed the federal building there as a return favor for the sarin gas subway attack that he said the U.S. government carried out in Tokyo.

Unceremoniously booted out by his comrades-in-arms, Olson started another group, the Northern Michigan Regional Militia, while attacking his former friends as "too moderate." In the run-up to the millennial date change, Olson predicted government collapse and worse as a result of the "y2k" computer bug — a collapse he welcomed.

"We're itching for a standoff someplace," he told The Washington Post in late 1999. "Any movement needs a good and noble rallying point, an Alamo or a 'Remember the Maine,' and this could be it."
Norm Olson pic with emblem
Norm Olson,
commander of "Alaska Citizens Militia"

Norm Olson's was in the end thrown out of the Michigan Militia for being too extreme and for being too enthusiastic about conspiracy theories. From Wikipedia:

"(Olson) also claimed that the (Oklahoma) bombing was carried out by the government of Japan in retaliation for a sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway, which Olson claimed was perpetrated by the United States. The conspiracy theory was deemed so extreme by fellow militiamen that he was expelled from the Michigan Militia after losing four elections for commander."

A few years ago, Norm Olson and Michigan Militia co-founder Ray Southwell "resurfaced" in Alaska - from a report in 2009:

"A key figure of the 1990s antigovernment “Patriot” movement who largely dropped from public view in 2002 has resurfaced in Alaska, where he’s recruiting for his newly formed Alaska Militia.

Norm Olson, who founded the Michigan Militia in 1994, held an organizational meeting last Thursday at a community center in Nikiski, a small town in the Kenai Peninsula region about 170 road miles from Anchorage.

Olson’s message: “Something very evil this way comes.”

“We’re looking at catastrophe just a couple months away — economic collapse, food shortages around the world, prices in stores are gonna go skyrocketing with this inflation,” Olson told the roughly 20 attendees, according to The Redoubt Reporter, a Kenai Peninsula newspaper.

“I’m convinced that times are coming when we are going to have to repel federal aggression, tyrannical oppressive federal aggression. They’re going to want to quell any kind of uprising, because it’s bad for politics,” Olson was quoted as saying.

Presiding over the meeting alongside Olson was Michigan Militia co-founder Ray Southwell. In the 1990s Olson and Southwell together made the Michigan Militia one of the first major antigovernment Patriot groups in the country and helped transform their former home state into a hotbed of Patriot activity."

See also the AP report in the Juneau Empire here and the report from MSNBC.

The Redoubt Reporter published on September 9, 2010 an extensive article about the fact that both Norm Colson and Ray Southwell are members of the notorious Alaska Independence Party (AIP). For a short while, Norm Olson was also to be destined to become the AIP's candidate for Lt. Governor, but the decision was quickly reversed. In a campaign email, Norm Olson was as outspoken as ever:

“… I want your vote, yes! But beyond that, I want your pledge and your sovereign vow to support me as I stand against the Federal Government’s long reach into the private lives of REAL ALASKANS. Our ‘Lexington Green’ is coming soon. You must make your decision to take your stand as INDEPENDENT SOVEREIGN ALASKANS or continue to suck on the tit of the federal sow! What’s it going to be?

“I’m not playing political games here, folks. I’m saying that together with Don Wright, the AIP candidate for Governor, that I will work to mobilize the ENTIRE ALASKA MILITIA, MADE UP OF ALL ALASKANS, to stand against the rape and pillage of the federal government of this God-Given blessed gift called Alaska.”

Norm Olson - Ray Southwell
Ray Southwell and Norm Olson

After establishing the general background, it's time to meet "Dropzone Bill!"

"Dropzone Bill" is the "nickname" of none other than William F. Fulton, the owner of "Dropzone Security Services", who came across as an unprofessional "goon" during the "arrest" of Tony Hopfinger.

He uses this nickname for his postings on the google-message board of the "Alaska Citizens Militia", which conveniently is public, for everyone to see.

From the postings, several facts can be established: Fulton's "Dropzone" military surplus shop in Anchorage which he owns together with his (currently unlicensed) security company, is a regular meeting point for the members of the militia and appears also to be their main supplier, according to the messages on the website. In addition, Fulton aka "Dropzone Bill" is a local commander of the militia.

These are the people who Joe Miller employed as security. Needless to say that they are very fond of him, as is also apparent from the message board.

Let's take a closer look at some of the postings:



Swift & Deadly response Sept 29 - small


No cozy handshakes, but the blood of tyrants - you get the picture:


Growl into camera 2


William F. Fulton aka "Dropzone Bill" is quite active on the message board...

Dropzone Bill - profile

...and seems to expect the big final fight as well...but that's probably why they have started this militia in the first place:

Dropzone Bill 1 - NEW

Dropzone Bill 2 - new

"All groups prepare in different ways and depending on what happens some will be better off than others those that rant as prepared will not just come and hand us there guns and then die they will find a way to survive, make no mistake as society brakes down the standard human being will revert quicker than you'll believe back to an animal some already have look at the inner city.
when theres nothing to loose then that person becomes more dangerous than you've ever imagined
DropzoneBill"

Dropzone Bill 3 - new

The premises of Dropzone in Anchorage...

Dropzone in Anchorage

...are a regular meeting point for the militia:

Did you make it to dropzone

See you all on Sunday

Dropzone 1200

Dropzone - can we get store address

Dropzone also appears to be the main supplier for the militia - "Dropzone Bill" has several posts about offers from his shop on the message board. But the main confirmation comes from Norm Olson himself - William F. Fulton is the "Supply Sergeant for many units":

Dropzone - please buy there

Bill - supply sergeant

On September 7, 2010, we have a "curiosity" on the message board, as "Dropzone Bill" enters into an argument with former AIP chairman Mark Chryson (who is still an AIP official). It seems that Mark Chryson is too moderate for William F. Fulton:

Argument with Mark Cryson

Mark Chryson himself rose to fame in 2008 after it was revealed by Max Blumenthal and David Neiwert in Salon that Chryson was instrumental in starting Sarah Palin's political career in 1996, when he was AIP chairman.

Norm Olson himself has also some encouraging words for "Dropzone Bill":

Norm Olson - we will lock & load

"We will fight in the political arena, and if that fails,
we will lock and load."
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Let's summarize:

Joe Miller chose a security firm for his campaign event which is not only unlicensed, but also right at the heart of an extreme militia group, with the owner of the security firm being a local commander of the militia and also the main supplier. This Alaskan militia is headed by the notorious Norm Olson, who played a major role in the radical militia movement in the 1990's in Michigan, a movement which is at least partly to blame for the Oklahoma bombing.

Joe, do you think the citizens of Alaska will vote for you?

I doubt it very much.

William F. Fulton aka "Dropzone Bill" already knew right after the Joe Miller's event with the "arrest" of Tony Hopfinger last Sunday that he had messed up:


Looks bad for us


Joe, your friend has a point there.

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NOTE:

I have uploaded some copies of the Alaska Citizens Militia google message board HERE, in case they delete it.

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UPDATE:

BanditBasheert alerted me to an incredibly important item at the google message board of the Alaska Citizens Militia. In this thread, the members discuss Joe Miller, his personlity, his policies and his chances of success. Norm Olson's buddy Ray Southwell writes about a meeting with Joe Miller:

Ray Southwell - meeting with Joe Miller

"Over the last several months I have been politically active in my run for State House. I first met Joe Miller at a small meeting at Fred Struman’s building in Soldotna. (where the militia has met) He was asked tough questions. I told him, I wished he had run for an elected state position. We need leaders here to stand against the feds.
I asked him how he was going to change Washington D.C. He believes there is going to be a large change in Senators in November. He also believes change will occur with the new group of Senators.
I have been in three parades this summer. In two of those parades, Joe miller was in position just in front of my wife and I. Faith and I have met and spoken to his father and wife. His father is a retired farmer from the lower 48. No arrogance, just like the rest of us. His wife is the mother of their 8 children 4 boys and 4 girls. Our wife’s seemed comfortable talking to each other."

Therefore it's proven that Joe Miller is palling around with the extreme militia for a long time already. The hiring of "Dropzone Bill" as head of his security team was no "accident." Also very enlightening the remark: "He also believes change will occur with the new group of Senators." Thankfully, it seems more and more unlikely that Miller will be a part of this group.

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Please re-tweet:






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Monday, 18 October 2010

Breaking news from "Sarah Palin's Alaska": Alaska Dispatch editor Tony Hopfinger arrested for trying to ask questions of Joe Miller - UPDATE: Video


Now for the latest news from "Sarah Palin's Alaska" - Queen Esther Newscorp reports: There is no place for potentially subversive journalists who dare to ask questions to candidates who don't need to be questioned because they are clearly out of bounds. Why do they need to ask questions when it is already a FACT that the candidate who personally received the endorsement by QUEEN ESTHER herself is without any question JUST GREAT anyway? What part of "no questions or you are in trouble" do these nasty lamestream journalists not understand? Why can't they just accept the fact that Joe Miller is AWESOME, a fact approved by QUEEN ESTHER herself? Why do they have to make things so complicated, when it could be so easy? The only ones to blame for the consequences of their actions are themselves.

"Alaska Dispatch founder and editor Tony Hopfinger was grabbed and handcuffed by a private security detail working for U.S. Senate candidate Joe Miller on Sunday while trying to ask the Fairbanks Republican questions following a town hall meeting at Central Middle School in Anchorage on Sunday.

Hopfinger was reportedly pressing Miller on whether the candidate had ever been reprimanded for politicking while working at the Fairbanks North Star Borough in 2008. Alaska Dispatch and other media have sued for the release of records related Miller's time at the borough. Various accounts of what happened next generally agree on this course of events:
  • Two or three bodyguards told Hopfinger to stop asking questions and to leave the building.
  • Hopfinger continued to ask questions while apparently videotaping the candidate.
  • Bodyguards told him that if he persisted they would arrest him for trespassing, but refused to identify themselves to Hopfinger.
  • Hopfinger asked why he was trespassing, as the event was at a public school. Seconds later, he was then put in arm-bar and later handcuffed and sequestered at one end of a hallway for at least 30 minutes. He was told, "You're under arrest."
  • Anchorage Police arrived on the scene shortly after.
Police were still trying to sort things out as this was written."

Well...it's hard to find an appropriate comment here. It should be more than obvious to anyone that teabaggers like Joe Miller have no real interest in the workings of democracy. This should also surprise nobody. Joe Miller cannot hide from the public like Sarah Palin does quite successfully, so he needs some goons around him to arrest the unruly journalists.

Alaska has it's biggest scandal now since Sarah Palin resigned, and I am glad that the journalists from Alaska Dispatch are taking their job seriously and are not willing to accept the restrictions which are imposed on them. That's what any good journalist who takes his job seriously should do. Unfortunately, as we all know, Alaska isn't really known these days for journalists with guts. It's great to see that Alaska Dispatch starts to make a real difference.

In addition, Immoral Minority reports that Joe Miller has sympathy for solutions like the Berlin Wall. While he discussed erecting a fence at the border to Mexico, Joe Miller said:

"If East Germany can do it, we can do it!"

Oh yeah, the East German communists were great in building fences, conveniently fitted with automatic machine guns and mines - to keep the "fascists" out, as they claimed, but "inexplicably" they detained their own population as well...

The communists didn't like critical journalists either, which is why no critical press existed in East-Germany. Sounds like Joe Miller's dream world. Did you know that East-Germany also had regular elections, several parties and a parliament? Does this sound like a dictatorship to YOU? Apparently, everybody was very happy there, according to their newspapers. So it's understandable that Joe Miller is looking in this direction for "alternative" solutions, isn't it...?

I photographed Joe Miller's dream 22 years ago:


Berlin - Potsdamer Platz

Berlin, Potsdam Place, 1988

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UPDATE:

The Miller campaigns claims that Tony Hopfinger "physically assaulted another individual" at the event, without giving any details.

But that's not all: He was "irrational, angry and potentially violent."

The statement by Joe Miller's campaign sounds like it was written in communist China after the student protests. By the way, critical reporting is now an "assault" as well, in case you didn't know yet:

"While I've gotten used to the blog Alaska Dispatch's assault on me and my family, I never thought that it would lead to a physical assault. It's too bad that this blogger would take advantage of a "Town Hall" meeting to create a publicity stunt just two weeks before the election."

The Miller campaign was required by the facility to provide security at the event. Even though Joe had spent more than 40 minutes answering questions from those in attendance, the blogger chased Miller to the exit after the event concluded in an attempt to create and then record a 'confrontation' with the candidate. While Miller attempted to calmly exit the facility, the blogger physically assaulted another individual and made threatening gestures and movements towards the candidate. At that point the security personnel had to take action and intervened and detained the irrational blogger, whose anger overcame him. It is also important to note that the security personnel did not know that the individual they detained was a blogger who was engaged in the campaign. To them, the blogger appeared irrational, angry and potentially violent."

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UPDATE 2:

The first video of the incident is available, and you cannot see on it what happened before the arrest, but the arrest itself is partly visible. You can hear Tony Hopfinger asking "Who are you though? Are you police officers?" and then saying, as the security people escort him away: "That camera belongs to me!"



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UPDATE 3:

We should be very thankful for this incident, as it provides unique insights into right-wing, or should I say, "wingnut" thinking and their attitude towards a free press and towards dissent.

The statements by the Joe Miller campaign and by the Palinbots on C4P really sound like they were statements made by some sinister dictatorship for example in Africa or Asia. These statements are incredibly revealing, and hopefully some people will finally wake up now and will stop treating Sarah Palin and Joe Miller as "ordinary" politicians! Because that's not what they are. They are both extremists and don't give a damn as far as the freedom of critics and dissenters is concerned.

Here is the complete statement by Joe Miller (h/t Progressive Alaska):

Miller press release on Hopfinger

Here is a picture of the arrest of Tony Hopfinger, also found on Progressive Alaska:

Tony Hopfinger arrested by Joe Miller's security

Photo taken by Bill Roth - Anchorage Daily News

But now comes the "best" part: Sarah Palin's fanatical followers on C4P not only defend the actions of Joe Miller's goons, but in classic Palinbot fashion combine this with a direct threat to everyone who thinks that disagreeing with politicians like Joe Miller and Sarah Palin is a good idea - note the last paragraph:

C4P - Joe Miller incident - brownshirts - highlighted

Please note that according to C4P, you can commit a "fourth-degree assault" which would justify an arrest through "words" alone.

But, but...we love our freedoms, don't we?

You have the freedom to worship Sarah Palin and the "Tea Party elite" like Joe Miller. Apparently, that should be enough freedom for everyone.

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UPDATE 4:

The public myspace-album of a security guard gives some insights into the work of "Dropzone Security Services":

Security 2

Security 1

Security 4

This anti-Obama-poster was hanging in the window of the company, which caused some controversy in the past:

Drop Zone Security - Obama pic

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UPDATE 5:

I am beginning to think that Joe Miller is secretly in love with the old East-Germany, the long gone "German Democratic Republic." Big, well secured fences, no pesky journalists, "law and order", prison cells for dissenters, tight surveillance - and don't we know that Joe Miller secretly just loves free Government healthcare! East-Germany would have been his dream country!

Therefore, Joe, in your honor, the beautiful East-German national anthem with English translations - have your tissues ready, old fellow!



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UPDATE 6:

Here is the news-clip from KTUU. So the main charge is "trespassing." If a journalist is being asked at a public event to leave and he doesn't, then he "trespasses." Authoritarian rule has never been so easy!

Sometimes I think that the laws for an authoritarian rule in the USA are already "there", they just have to be "applied."



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UPDATE 7:

A little sensation! Steve Aufrecht, a blogger from Alaska, taped the outrageous remarks of Joe Miller about the East-German border!

This is what Joe Miller said:

"The first thing that has to be done is secure the border. . . East Germany was very, very able to reduce the flow. Now, obviously, other things were involved. We have the capacity to, as a great nation, secure the border. If East Germany could, we could."

Audio:




Can you believe it! Joe Miller seriously recommends to build an "East German style" defense line at the border to Mexico. The East German border was successful in the first place because it was deadly. I get the impression that this won't concern Joe Miller too much.

Some impressions from the former East-German border to West-Germany:

800px-Sm-70_schlagsdorf

Replica SM-70 directional anti-personnel mine
mounted on a section of border fence on the former inner German border.

Mauer_04

Abb1_Sperranlagen_Schaubild_01


ironcurtain

The iron curtain was dividing villages as well -
Photo used with kind permission by our reader Brian Rose - www.brianrose.com

Berliner-Mauer_ddp-JensSchlueter


peter-fechter-dying

fechter1

Peter Fechter, killed while trying to cross the border in 1962.

Chris_Gueffroy

Chris Gueffroy, last person to be shot at the border, 20 years old.

Mauertote2_ddp-TheoHeimann

Mauertote_ddp-MichaelKappeler

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UPDATE 8:

The Anchorage Daily News published excellent footage of what happened immediately after Tony Hopfingers's arrest - see Joe Miller's security goons in action:




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UPDATE 9:

The Palingates-community shows it's strength again!

Due to the discovery of our reader Older_Wiser we can reveal that the business license for "Dropzone Security Services", 3701 SPENARD ROAD, ANCHORAGE AK 99503, owned by William F. Fulton expired on 31/12/2009 and was NOT renewed!

The company belonging Mr. Fulton, who was pictured in the above clips, is currently not licensed for providing security services. Joe Miller therefore employed the services of a "rogue" security company, so to speak. ;-)

Let's take a closer look:

The business licence search in the Alaska Government database for the business name "dropzone" under all possibles codes gives the following result:

Dropzone Business Search 1

"Dropzone Security Services" has an expired business license with the following details:

Dropzone Business Search 3

Note that the code for the primary activity is "561612."

This is the NAICS number for "Security Guards & Patrol Services."

Dropzone - NAICS 561612

William F. Fulton currently has only one current business license, for the company "Dropzone."

However, this company has nothing to do with security services. It is a license for a trade company!

Dropzone Business Search 2


That's the business license for "Sporting goods stores":

Dropzone - NAICS 451110

And that's apparently what Mr. Fulton is officially doing!


GUESS WHAT:

Mr. Fulton received the trade license TODAY!

This trade company lacks the necessary license for a security company, and he hasn't had one since 01/01/2010. Mr. Fulton owns no security company under another name, as the records show:

William F

It is therefore proven that Joe Miller employed a security firm which is unlicensed.

We do hope that the IRS will now take a closer look at Joe Miller's dark-shirt friends from Spenard Road.


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