An insurrectionist, an “active member” of the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association (CSPOA), and a staffer for the State Policy Network walking into a party might sound like the opening of a joke, but the punchline is not remotely funny. Following a growing national trend of far-right activists seizing the local GOP apparatus, these and other far-rightists captured leadership positions in the Kitsap County Republican Party in Western Washington State.
The ascendance of this coalition was announced on December 10, 2022, in the Facebook group of the South Kitsap Republican Party (SKRP). SKRP declared, “Congratulations to the 2023-2025 Executive Board of the Kitsap County Republican Party,” boasting that “South Kitsap came into town with a plan and a purpose. With hard work and persistence we won all the elections our slate of Conservative Candidates ran for.”[1]
But this was not conservatism.
The SKRP announced that John Cameron had been elected Vice Chair of the county party, Jessica Rice Secretary and Rick Kuss had been named a Central Kitsap School District member of the party’s Executive Board.[2] And it announced that Juliana McMahan was the new Chair of the local party.
John Cameron: From January 6 to Unrepentant Insurrectionist to Kitsap GOP Vice-Chair
John Cameron of Port Orchard gained brief national attention in 2022 when he was hit with four criminal charges relating to his participation in the January 6th insurrection. For this, Cameron, an administrator of the SKRP Facebook group, was sentenced to 36 months of probation, 30 days intermittent confinement, a $1000 fine, and $500 restitution.[3]
After receiving a tip that Cameron had been at the U.S. Capitol that day, the FBI confirmed in footage from Close Caption TV that Cameron had entered the building in a white t-shirt emblazoned with “COUNT ALL LEGAL VOTES.” Cameron aided the cause of his arrest by posting a photo of himself in the same shirt on Facebook and describing plans to attend the Stop the Steal rally that preceded the insurrection. Cameron described the riot as a “fun, exciting, interesting, and historic event,” as detailed in a federal affidavit filed in the case.[4]
John Cameron, January 6, 2021
Before entering the building, Cameron posted a video of himself saying,
“Civil disobedience has kicked in. … You can judge, we all can judge, whether this is illegal or not. But if this is what it takes to be heard, because our votes aren’t, then this is what happens.”[5]
Cameron pled guilty to a misdemeanor charge of “parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a capitol building.”[6]
On and after January 6, Cameron repeatedly spun conspiracy theories falsely placing anti-fascists behind the far-right insurrection. He also continued championing the mob of far-rightists who attempted to overturn the 2020 election.
On January 6, 2021, Cameron posted a photo from the insurrection, writing, “Interesting than (sic) Antifa was the first one in the door.”[7] That same day he declared, “Peaceful non violent. But Antifa just showed up.”[8]
In early 2022, Cameron elaborated on his conspiracist “thoughts” on the 2020 election and the January 6 insurrection:
“Trump did not incite the violence. This wasnt (sic) ‘insurrection.’ This was the Democratic party (sic) refusal to look into, and main stream media denying of, voting transparency that caused the protest. The election regularities are not lies, unless you believe the narrative of propaganda media…It’s not conspiracy theory, its (sic) not tin foil hat wearing idiots, its (sic) smart, kind educated American citizens. It wasnt (sic) hate groups or militia, just average citizens just heard that on CNN….On CNN. Narrccistic (sic), psychopath, egotistical…incompetent, lies and lies…
America is in turmoil and its (sic) not because Orange Man Bad. Its (sic) because bloated, news, tech, CCP [Chinese Communist Party – ed] special interest money controlling politicians, voting, and even yes radical left wing extremists groups like Antifa BLM which led the charge into the Capitol building…Next spins…because Trump supporters were white the police weren’t as aggressive with them…Change is needed. Unfortunately, usually before true change can occur, the pain of remaining the same has to be greater than that of change. That is the path we are on.”[9]
In February 2023, almost a year after being sentenced, Cameron posted on Facebook, “I am released, and sleeping in my own bed for the first time in a month. God Bless the J6ers!”[10]
Cameron’s path to January 6 had traversed the COVID denial mobilization that accompanied policy attempts to address the pandemic, far-right activism around school curriculum and the myth of “critical race theory,” and conspiracism about the 2020 election. Before his arrest, Cameron had been an administrator for the Informed Parents of Washington South Kitsap SD (IPWSK) Facebook group and a member of the Facebook groups Central Kitsap Parents for Freedom, Moms for Liberty – Kitsap County, WA, ReopenWA and Call to Action against Washington masking and school closures.[11]
The Informed Parents of Washington South Kitsap SD centered on addressing “Critical Race Theory” and Comprehensive Sexual Education. Cameron embraced such politics.[12] In a September 2021 post, Cameron declared that Informed Parents of Washington South Kitsap SD could “help you Moms.” He announced, “I am Rallying South Kitsap School District Parents to help Advocate for Medical Freedom and Against CRT to our local School Board.”[13]
The fight for “medical freedom” had become a rallying cry for both anti-vaxxer and COVID denial politics, while being “Against CRT” signaled fealty to the reactionary attack on quality education about racism in America’s past and present behind the banner of fighting “critical race theory.” Cameron had written, “Stop thinking of CRT as a curriculum or subject. The goal is to change our world view.”[14]
Cameron also embraced anti-immigrant politics, misrepresenting the fact that undocumented immigrants pay taxes by posting a meme in late January 2021 declaring, “I JUST SAVED A BUNCH OF MONEY ON MY TAXES BY SWITCHING MY CITIZENSHIP STATUS TO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT.”[15]
In December 2021, Cameron boasted that “Legendary WA State Activist Glen Morgan” is “Mentoring me on how to write powerful effective records requests…Fighting Marxism and Communism one school board at a time.”[16]
John Cameron (left) and Glen Morgan (right)
Glen Morgan was also among those endorsing the far right effort in the Kitsap GOP, as was Sara Garriot of the Informed Parents of Washington, according to John Cameron. And, Cameron explained, the “slate” was “aligned with and in direct communication with” former state representative and failed candidate for state senate, Jesse Young, Marcus Carter, President of the Puget Sound Patriots (formerly Kitsap Patriots Tea Party), and Joy Gjersvold of the far right school-centered group, Mom’s for Liberty.[17]
Morgan has his own far right history. At a May 2020 “Hazardous Liberty Rally” in Olympia, Washington, Morgan shared lead billing with CSPOA-affiliated former police officer Loren Culp and Matt Marshall, the leader of the Washington State Three Percenters.[18]
In June 2020, the Citizens Alliance for Property Rights (CAPR), of which Morgan is Executive Director, featured Klickitat County Sheriff Bob Songer on its webinar, addressing the “What is the Constitutional role of a Sheriff in Protecting our Lives, Liberty and Properties?” Opening by describing Songer’s 2019 “Constitutional Sheriff of the Year” award from CSPOA, Morgan concluded, “I know that probably a number of our listeners and people who see this show wish that you were their sheriff too.”[19] Bob Songer has also allied with far rightist Ammon Bundy’s insurrectionist People’s Rights network.
Bob Songer with CAPR and CSPOA
Glen Morgan, who has pressed anti-tribal politics and allied with the anti-Indian Citizens Equal Rights Alliance, also has a history in Kitsap County, appearing at a 2018 meeting of the Kitsap Patriots Tea Party, now the Puget Sound Patriots.
And Morgan is a former leader in the Freedom Foundation, the organization that had birthed the political career of now Kitsap County Republican Party Chair Juliana McMahan.
Juliana McMahan, the Freedom Foundation, and the State Policy Network
If John Cameron represents the insurrectionist impulse in the coalition that overtook the Kitsap GOP, Juliana McMahan highlights the ability of far-rightists to ally their cause with activists in broader conservative and libertarian organizations alongside the movement of these larger organizations in the direction of politicized bigotry and the far right during the period of the Trump Administration.
Kitsap County GOP Chair Juliana McMahan
Juliana McMahan was a longtime staffer at the anti-labor Freedom Foundation and is currently listed as an Executive Assistant to the Vice President of Strategy at the State Policy Network, a Virginia-based group that supports a national network of state-level conservative, libertarian, and far-right “think tanks.”
McMahan reports taking a job with the Freedom Foundation in December 1996. Her State Policy Network biography says, “She spent almost 19 years with the Freedom Foundation in Washington state, starting as an intern during the organization’s start-up years and eventually serving as Development Director, managing over 5,000 donors.”[20]
Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) records indicate that, over the years, McMahan listed her position with the Freedom Foundation as Coordinator, Staff, Project Director, and, beginning in 2012, Outreach Director.[21] McMahan posted on Facebook that she left a job with the Freedom Foundation in 2014. However, as late as June 2021, the Olalla-based activist described her occupation as Freedom Foundation Outreach Director in PDC documents.[22]
Befitting a background with the Freedom Foundation, an organization centered on the business politics of attacking trade unions, privatization, and gutting environmental regulations, an apparent factor in McMahan’s rise in the Kitsap GOP is the path of generous donations.
Between 2007 and 2023, McMahan made at least 43 separate donations totaling more than $6500 to the Kitsap County Republican Party, according to PDC records. In addition, McMahan donated another $1774.88 to local and state candidates.[23]
In her time with the Freedom Foundation, McMahan promoted the group’s work on gun rights and, long before election denial became far-right vogue, promoted the group’s 2013 tour to address “how special interests work to rig elections here in Washington State.”[24]
Juliana McMahan is currently listed as an Executive Assistant to Lynn Harsh, the Vice President of Strategy for the Arlington, Virginia-based State Policy Network (SPN).[25] The SPN took in between $10.3 and $16.9 million each year between 2016 and 2020, ending 2020 with some $12.9 million in assets.[26] The Freedom Foundation is an official affiliate of the State Policy Center, as is the Seattle, Washington-based Washington Policy Center. [27]
The State Policy Network and its Washington affiliates have mainly focused on the politics of unfettering “free market” capitalism, attacking trade unions and gutting environmental regulations. SPN’s issue profile includes pushing school vouchers and privatization, fighting efforts to repeal right-to-work laws, deregulating healthcare, tax cuts, and generally deregulating economic institutions.[28] The Freedom Foundation has relentlessly campaigned to deploy the Supreme Court’s anti-labor Janus v. AFSCME decision as a battering ram against public sector unions.
In keeping with its property rights focus, the Freedom Foundation has also been known for anti-tribal politics. For example, in 2007, the Freedom Foundation hosted Skagit County anti-Indian activist John Fleming at its Leadership Conference. Fleming is notorious in the state for having led the passage of a tribal termination resolution at the 2000 Washington State Republican Party convention. During his time with the Freedom Foundation, Glen Morgan continued this anti-Indian tradition, opposing the exemption of the sovereign Chehalis Tribe from county taxation during the construction of the Great Wolf Lodge on tribal lands.
McMahan’s movement into this far right coalition came as such groups also engaged with the politics of bigotry. In recent years the SPN has taken up the far right cause against the myth of “critical race theory.” SPN also boasts far right affiliates such as the Idaho Freedom Foundation, a group that participated in COVID Denial mobilizations, including at least one involving paramilitary activists; and the Texas Public Policy Foundation, an anti-immigrant organization currently working on a national coalition with the notoriously racist Federation for American Immigration Reform.[29]
Likewise the Freedom Foundation, whose Pennsylvania Outreach Director Joe Mandrusiak is an ardent supporter of anti-gay bigot Tony Perkins and the Family Research Council (FRC). In 2019, the Freedom Foundation played host to anti-gay bigot Mike Huckabee.
Also that year Oregon State Representative Mike Nearman assumed the position of Oregon state director for the organization.[30] While a state legislator, the one-time board member for the anti-immigrant Oregonians for Immigration Reform, pleaded guilty to first-degree official misconduct for allowing members of a far-right and armed mob into the locked Oregon state Capital during a riot. Nearman would resign from the Freedom Foundation in 2021.[31] However, as of this writing, Nearman remains listed as a “Senior Fellow,” and his articles remain available, on the Freedom Foundation website.[32]
McMahan’s political donations also hint at an interest in the politics of bigotry and the far right. In June 2009, McMahan donated $100 to Protect Marriage Washington (PMW).[33] In that year, Protect Marriage Washington mobilized to place Referendum 71 on the ballot in an attempt to derail a recently passed law recognizing domestic partner status for same-sex couples – that is, PMW sought to overturn the established right of such couples to visit their loved one in the hospital, take medical leave, pass down inheritances, and the like.[34]
Given the bigotry and discrimination inherent in such a position, it is entirely unsurprising that one leader of Protect Marriage Washington in 2009 was Matt Shea, the former state legislator, Christian nationalist paramilitary advocate, anti-Muslim bigot, and anti-LGBTQIA leader who was removed from the GOP House caucus and his committees after a report commissioned by the state house concluded that Shea had promoted “three armed conflicts of political violence against the United States” from 2014 to 2016.
Also indicating an attraction to the far right, in November 2022, McMahan donated $100 to a candidate for sheriff, Rick Scott Kuss, running openly as an “active member” of the far-right Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association.[35]
Rick Kuss, CSPOA, and the Kitsap GOP
If Tea Party precursors, COVID denial, conspiracism, election denial, a school-centered far right, and alliances with the likes of the State Policy Network and Freedom Foundation had paved the way for the growth of the far right in Kitsap county, the immediate push for a local GOP takeover was aided by Rick Kuss’ failed bid for the office of sheriff. Kuss lost to sitting Sheriff John Gese, who took 58.5% of the vote (70,628 votes) compared to the CSPOA-affiliated candidate’s 41.4 (50,875 votes).[36]
While speaking at a meeting of the Kitsap Alliance of Property Owners (KAPO) during his campaign, Rick Kuss downplayed his relationship with CSPOA, claiming that it was just one of several groups he joined “to learn the most I can about the role of the sheriff.” Members of the far-right property rights group booed and tried to talk down a community member who raised concerns about Kuss’ involvement in a group tied to racism and paramilitarism.[37]
A cursory look at Kuss’ engagement with CSPOA and the far right demonstrates that his spin was just that – spin. Rick Kuss is a local leader in a far-right, anti-democratic political movement.
John Cameron (left) with Rick Kuss (right)
Kuss’ initial campaign website announced he was an “Active Member of the Constitutional Sheriffs & Peace Officers Association.”[38] In September, an updated version of Kuss’ campaign website elaborated:
“Rick stands for carrying out the oath elected officials swear to – Supporting and Defending the Constitution of the United States of America…That is why Rick is a member of the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association.”[39]
The Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association is a profoundly anti-democratic organization with well-documented ties to racism, anti-semitism, and the Oath Keepers—the far-right paramilitary group whose leaders were recently convicted of seditious conspiracy.
Rick Kuss’ notion that someone who supports the Constitution might reflect that by joining CSPOA is patently absurd. Richard Mack and CSPOA trainers espouse far-right ideas about the U.S. Constitution, policing, and federal civil and voting rights that are incompatible with a democratic society. For example, CSPOA falsely claims that sheriffs can unilaterally decide the law and intervene to block federal authority – including, as Mack indicates, through the use of armed paramilitaries. Mack has made clear that his “interpretation” would overturn decades of duly-passed national legislation, including laws related to civil rights enforcement, workplace safety, and environmental protection.
Kuss also attended a CSPOA event in mid-July of 2022. On July 14, Kuss wrote on his campaign Facebook account that he “had the privilege of attending a conference with sheriffs from all across the country.” Describing that he “gained many personal contacts” at the event, he said, “The role of the Sheriff is way more important than most people think. Contact me to host a fundraiser event…and I can talk as long as you want me to about crime in your area and what the role of the sheriff should be.” Kuss confirmed that this was a CSPOA event.[40]
On July 12, CSPOA held a press conference in Las Vegas to kick off a national campaign to organize far-right sheriffs to intervene in upcoming elections based on false ideas about voter fraud. CSPOA rescheduled its conference to coincide with the July 13-16 “Freedom Fest” in Las Vegas, where Mack again promoted CSPOA’s far-right “election fraud” campaign.[41]
And Rick Kuss has displayed his affinity for KrisAnne Hall, the CSPOA trainer whose “legal” thinking has influenced Ammon Bundy’s insurrectionist People’s Rights network. Hall has also spuriously declared that the 14th, 15th, and 19th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution – cornerstones of American civil and voting rights – are “unlawful.”
KrisAnne Hall with Rick Kuss
In early December, Kuss announced he was “excited to attend the world premiere of NC2: The Sheriff in Tampa with KrisAnne Hall, JD.” In a comment on KrisAnne Hall’s Facebook page, Kuss wrote, “Registered for the event and purchased my plane tickets from Seattle to Tampa! Can’t wait!”[42] Kuss has also circulated material from KrisAnne Hall inside Moms for Liberty – Kitsap County, WA, the local chapter of the national far-right school-centered group.[43]
On December 14, Kuss posted a photograph on Facebook showing him standing with KrisAnne Hall, the far right candidate for sheriff adorned in a t-shirt declaring “Sheriffs America’s Last Hope” – a slogan similar to the title of Richard Mack’s 2009 book County Sheriff: America’s Last Hope.[44] Upon his return, Kuss circulated links to KrisAnne Hall’s work on social media.[45]
Jessica Rice, COVID Denial, and the Posse
While Kuss gained the endorsement of the Kitsap County Republican Party, his Campaign Manager, Jessica Rice, is a Port Orchard-based activist with a firm foot in the far right.[46]
Kitsap GOP Secretary Jessica Rice
Like Kuss, Rice is a fan of KrisAnne Hall, posting multiple links to material from the Florida-based far-rightist. For example, one video posted to Facebook by Jessica Rice features Hall and her husband, J.C., discussing the idea of the “constitutional sheriff,” tracing it to the Medieval European “shire reef” and making crystal clear that this is the view espoused by the virulently racist, antisemitic and violent Posse Comitatus:
“Your sheriff. This is not KrisAnne Hall’s opinion; this is actual legal fact. Your sheriff is the top legal authority in your county. Your sheriff is above the governor, above your county commission, he’s above the state police, he’s above the president, he’s above the FBI, he’s above the military in your county. There is no higher authority, legally speaking, in your county than the sheriff.”[47]
In October 2022, Jessica Rice repeated this Posse-derived idea that the sheriff is “the highest law enforcement authority in our county.”[48]
This Posse Comitatus conception of sheriff’s power is included in the definition of “extremist organization” in Washington Administrative Codes (WAC) addressing officer certification and hiring: “Extremist organization means an organization or persons that…Espouses or advocates that the powers held by local law enforcement executives, and their interpretation of the law, supersedes those of any other federal, state, or local authority” (WAC 139-01-310).[49] A background check into “whether the applicant has any past or present affiliations with extremist organizations,” is required under state law for “all Washington peace officers and corrections officers” (RCW 43.101.095).[50]
Jessica Rice’s road to radicalization was paved by her reaction to measures to address the COVID-19 pandemic – something that reverberated across the far right. But it was not self-evident at the beginning. In April 2020, for instance, Rice posted a meme appearing to endorse the idea of wearing a mask to protect one another from the pandemic.[51]
Rice’s move toward COVID denial activism came in response to school shutdowns and the use of remote learning to address the pandemic. In June 2020, Rice posted a video featuring long-time anti-tax activist Tim Eyeman declaring that “we need to let our governor know that we want our kids back in school.”[52] By that same month, Rice had joined Reopen WA state schools and was sponsoring an online petition to “Allow families and staff in LOW-RISK groups that choose to do so return to full-time IN-CLASS instruction WITHOUT MANDATORY MASKS.”[53]
In October 2020, Rice promoted an event to press school athletic directors to reopen sports activities and other COVID denial-related events.[54] Despite later boosting the work of KrisAnne Hall, a far-right activist that would advise a Trump administration official on immigration, Rice also posted an article about the Trump administration’s family separation policies targeting immigrants that would include the comment, “The Kidnapper-in-Chief does not give a shit.”[55]
Rice’s involvement in local COVID-related activism grew across 2021 and 2022. By 2021 Rice joined Moms for Liberty – Kitsap County, WA, and the Central Kitsap Parents for Freedom.[56] Also that year, Rice became an administrator for the Parents of Washington South Kitsap SD.[57] In 2022, Rice joined ReOpen Kitsap.[58]
In November, John Cameron posted photos of himself, Rick Kuss, and Jessica Rice working together on campaign activities. Cameron described, “Patriots are rising up to help. Calling voters is our final action item. And we need YOUR help! We can set you up wherever in the country you are.”[59]
John Cameron, Rick Kuss, Jessica Rice and others campaign together
Akin to Kuss and Rice’s affinities, in 2020 Bremerton Representative for the Kitsap GOP, Adrian Wright, posted a photograph of himself with a CSPOA-affiliated former law officer and failed candidate for governor, Loren Culp. Culp received CSPOA’s “Chief of Police of the Decade” award at the group’s 2019 conference. Wright wrote of Culp, “I like his strong identity with the WA St Constitution!”[60]
Adrian Wright with Loren Culp
From Failed Election to Hand Counts to the Kitsap GOP
Rick Kuss’ post-election mobilizations also aided the far-right ascendance in the Kitsap GOP. In November, Kuss organized an event to counter County Commission discussions of a potential restriction on “open and concealed carry in Kitsap County Admin Building” and plans to potentially “restrict possession, sale, purchase, or trade firearms at Faigrounds (sic).” Putting his star first, he billed the event as “COME JOIN RICK KUSS TO FIGHT FOR 2ND AMENDMENT RIGHTS.”[61] And Kuss took to assailing the Kitsap County prosecutor as soft on crime.[62]
His most visible action came when five individuals submitted a letter to the Kitsap County Auditor’s office and paid a $31,000 cash deposit for a hand recount of “all votes cast in the 2022 General Election for Kitsap County Sheriff.”[63]
Kuss and the group downplayed the relationship of their effort to the broader election denial organizing taking place across the country. And Kuss downplayed his own role in the hand recount campaign.
Queried by The Kitsap Sun as to whether people might view the recount as a denying the election results, Kuss responded that he hoped not, “Because that’s not what it is…This is me on the sidelines watching concerned citizens verify the results…My expectation is the hand recount will match the tabulation count…I would expect that to match perfectly.”[64]
Contradicting himself, Kuss informed the paper that he was involved in fundraising for the project, something never on the sidelines of political activism. Kuss’ efforts included promoting a GiveSendGo fundraising effort for the recount and showing the Breitbart movie “My Son Hunter” as a fundraiser for the “Kitsap Voter Integrity Project.”[65]
The Kitsap “hand count” effort also mimicked other efforts, such as those ongoing in Arizona and the actions of CSPOA-affiliated Michigan Sheriff Dar Leaf, by focusing their “concerns” on voting machines. The fundraiser says, “We want to look closely at whether the results of the machine will match 100% with the hand count. If it doesn’t, it will mean your vote does not matter and this voting system needs to be put into question.”[66]
Pressing for hand recounts has also been a strategy of election deniers in Arizona, even in the face of at least two studies finding hand recounts less accurate than machine recounts.[67]
Others with more open election denial politics also joined the effort. This includes Chuck DeCosta, listed as a member of the Board of Directors of the Puget Sound Patriots—an organization that donated $1000 to Kuss’ campaign and supported the far right “slate” for the Kitsap GOP, according to John Cameron. The Puget Sound Patriots had hosted a showing of the widely debunked election denial video, 2000 Mules, declaring it a “Great documentary to watch and see one of the many ways to steal your vote… Where are the Indictments??? Very good question.”[68]
Chuck DeCosta of Puget Sound Patriots, formerly Kitsap Patriots Tea Party
Chuck DeCosta posted memes, with zero backing evidence, stating that Jill Biden had “ordered the count to stop in 2020 because Trump was too far ahead!” and defending Donald Trump’s statement that 2020 election fraud justified the “termination” of “rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution.” DeCosta also promoted the Kitsap Voter Integrity Project fundraiser pushed by Kuss.[69]
And the Kitsap County Republican Party wholeheartedly endorsed the hand recount.[70]
John Cameron is now Vice Chair of the Kitsap County Republican Party. He shares a place on the party’s Executive Board with Rick Kuss and Jessica Rice, both ensconced in the activism shaped by the ideology of the Posse Comitatus. And they have gained a friend in the State Policy Network.
As this article goes to press, the Kitsap County Republican Party and John Cameron are engaged in a mobilization to counter an upcoming Drag Show Story Hour in Port Orchard, a political target seen across the far right from Tea Party-style and MAGA activists to white nationalists and neo-Nazis.[71]
All who care about democracy should take heed.
NOTES
[1] South Kitsap Republican Party. Facebook. December 10, 2022. https://www.facebook.com/groups/skrepublicans/posts/482635020605627/[2] South Kitsap Republican Party. Facebook. December 10, 2022. https://www.facebook.com/groups/skrepublicans/posts/482635020605627/
[3] KING 5 Staff. Port Orchard man sentenced to 36 months of probation, fined for involvement in Capitol riot. KING 5. August 15, 2022. https://www.king5.com/article/news/crime/port-orchard-man-sentenced-capitol-riot-charges/281-490517cd-995d-4bed-a342-62fe05d7cb28; Associated Press. Man sentenced to probation for involvement in Capitol riot. Associated Press. August 16, 2022. https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-crime-washington-20eb5942a475d1258b7799ed27395131; South Kitsap Republican Party. Members. https://www.facebook.com/groups/skrepublicans/members. Accessed December 15, 2022.
[4] U.S. v John M. Cameron. United States District Court. December 12, 2021. Case 1:21-mj-00690.; https://extremism.gwu.edu/sites/g/files/zaxdzs2191/f/John%20Cameron%20Criminal%20Complaint.pdf; Kamb, Lewis. Port Orchard man becomes 12th Washington resident charged in Jan. 6 Capitol riot. The Seattle Times. January 6, 2022. https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/law-justice/port-orchard-man-becomes-12th-washington-resident-charged-in-jan-6-capitol-riot/; Binion, Andrew. Port Orchard man pleads guilty to misdemeanor from Jan. 6 riots. Kitsap Sun. https://www.kitsapsun.com/story/news/2022/05/13/port-orchard-john-cameron-pleads-guilty-misdemeanor-jan-6-riots/9769463002/
[5] Binion, Andrew. Port Orchard man pleads guilty to misdemeanor from Jan. 6 riots. Kitsap Sun. https://www.kitsapsun.com/story/news/2022/05/13/port-orchard-john-cameron-pleads-guilty-misdemeanor-jan-6-riots/9769463002/
[6] Kamb, Lewis. Port Orchard man becomes 12th Washington resident charged in Jan. 6 Capitol riot. The Seattle Times. January 6, 2022. https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/law-justice/port-orchard-man-becomes-12th-washington-resident-charged-in-jan-6-capitol-riot/; Binion, Andrew. Port Orchard man pleads guilty to misdemeanor from Jan. 6 riots. Kitsap Sun. https://www.kitsapsun.com/story/news/2022/05/13/port-orchard-john-cameron-pleads-guilty-misdemeanor-jan-6-riots/9769463002/
[7] Cameron, John. Facebook. January 6, 2021. https://www.facebook.com/johncameronhomes/posts/10224061860396292
[8] Cameron, John. Faceook. January 6, 2021. https://www.facebook.com/johncameronhomes/posts/10224060869051509
[9] Cameron, John. Facebook. January 6, 2022. https://www.facebook.com/johncameronhomes/posts/10226584973432541
[10] Cameron, John. Facebook. February 24, 2023. https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid0MWX7gPHM3mZspohDkLdBZyyJmmLPt5JeuExpBvzQHtt7VLH8HHkfB9Px87JGAjyFl&id=100077164721403
[11] Informed Parents of Washington South Kitsap SD. Facebook. Members. https://www.facebook.com/groups/254127036499306/members/admins; Central Kitsap Parents for Freedom. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/groups/152590543618013/members; Moms for Liberty – Kitsap County, WA. Facebook. Members. https://www.facebook.com/groups/moms4libertykitsapwa/members; Cameron, John. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/groups/826665318226031/user/1292838119/. Accessed January 6, 2022.
[12] Informed Parents of Washington South Kitsap SD. About. https://www.facebook.com/groups/254127036499306/. Accessed January 1, 2022.
[13] Cameron, John. Facebook. September 2, 2021. https://www.facebook.com/groups/826665318226031/user/1292838119/
[14] Cameron, John. Facebook. Posted in Informed Parents of Washington South Kitsap SD. November 9, 2021. https://www.facebook.com/groups/254127036499306/posts/374249741153701/
[15] Cameron, John. Facebook. January 25, 2021. https://www.facebook.com/johncameronhomes/posts/10224226799599669
[16] Cameron, John. Facebook. December 4, 2021. https://www.facebook.com/johncameronhomes/posts/10226390300285834
[17] Cameron, John. Facebook. Posted in South Kitsap Republican Party. December 10, 2022. https://www.facebook.com/groups/skrepublicans/posts/482056647330131/; Cameron, John. Facebook. Posted in South Kitsap Republican Party. November 5, 2022. https://www.facebook.com/groups/skrepublicans/posts/458791779656618/; Ballotpedia. Emily Randall. https://ballotpedia.org/Emily_Randall. Accessed December 16, 2022; Puget Sound Patriots. About/Contact. https://kitsappatriots.wordpress.com/about/. Accessed March 15, 2023.
[18] Culp, Loren. Facebook. May 6, 2020. https://m.facebook.com/107506870587683/photos/a.132920628046307/243284753676560/?type=3
[19] Citizens Alliance for Property Rights. Webinars. June 4, 2020. https://capr.us/webinars. Opening the show, Morgan said to Songer, “And you were also given an award recently as the 2019 Constitutional Sheriff of the Year Award by the Constitutional Sheriff (sic) and Police (sic) Officers Association.” Songer answered, “Yeah, by Sheriff Richard Mack.” Morgan responded, “By Sheriff Mack, ok, great…So, you are the kind of sheriff we all like to discuss these some of these topics with. And as an organization dedicated to Constitutional principles, especially around, uh, a focus on property rights.” Morgan wrapped up the show by telling Songer, “I know that probably a number of our listeners and people who see this show wish that you were their sheriff too.”
[20] State Policy Network. SPN Staff. Juliana McMahan. https://spn.org/staffer/juliana-mcmahan/. Accessed March 10, 2023. ; McMahan, Juliana. Facebook. December 2, 1996. https://www.facebook.com/Juliana.McMahan/posts/462229237176134
[21] Public Disclosure Commission. Contributions. Search for Juliana McMahan. https://www.pdc.wa.gov/political-disclosure-reporting-data/browse-search-data/contributions. Search conducted March 10, 2023.
[22] Kitsap County Republican Party. Cash Receipts Monetary Contributions. Public Disclosure Commission. March 30, 2019; McMahan, Juliana. Facebook. January 21, 2014. https://www.facebook.com/Juliana.McMahan/posts/10151633886752434; Kitsap County Republican Party. Cash Receipts Monetary Contributions. Public Disclosure Commission. June 17, 2021. https://web.pdc.wa.gov/rptimg/default.aspx?repno=110029662
[23] Washington State Public Disclosure Commission. Contributions. Search on “Juliana McMahan” conducted March 13, 2023. https://www.pdc.wa.gov/political-disclosure-reporting-data/browse-search-data/contributions
[24] McMahan, Juliana. Facebook. October 28, 2013. https://www.facebook.com/Juliana.McMahan/posts/10151633886752434; McMahan, Juliana. Facebook. June 4, 2013. https://www.facebook.com/Juliana.McMahan/posts/10151376642522434
[25] State Policy Network. Staff. Juliana McMahan. https://spn.org/staffer/juliana-mcmahan/. Accessed March 13, 2023.
[26] ProPublica. Nonprofit Explorer. State Policy Network. Tax Filings by Year. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/570952531. Accessed March 15, 2023.
[27] State Policy Network. The Network. Washington. https://spn.org/directory/#WA. Accessed March 13, 2023.
[28] State Policy Network. 12 WAYS THE PRO ACT WILL HURT AMERICAN WORKERS. March 3, 2021. https://spn.org/articles/pro-act-2021-will-hurt-workers/; State Policy Network. Solutions for States: Education Reform. https://spn.org/state-education-reforms/; State Policy Network. Solutions for States: Healthcare Reforms. https://spn.org/state-healthcare-reforms/Accessed March 13, 2023; State Policy Network. Reform Opportunities for States: Growing Jobs and Economies. https://spn.org/state-based-economic-reforms/. Accessed March 13, 2023.
[29] State Policy Network. The Network. https://spn.org/directory/. Accessed March 15, 2023; Federation for American Immigration Reform. Strongest-Ever Assembled Coalition Calls for Immediate Consideration of a Flagship Border Security Bill in the 118th Congress. May 11, 2022. https://www.fairus.org/press-releases/border-security/strongest-ever-assembled-coalition-calls-immediate-consideration
[30] Freedom Foundation. Press Release. MIKE NEARMAN TO DIRECT FREEDOM FOUNDATION IN OREGON. August 7, 2019. https://www.freedomfoundation.com/oregon/mike-nearman-to-direct-freedom-foundation-in-oregon/
[31] VanderHart, Dirk. Former Rep. Mike Nearman pleads guilty to official misconduct in Oregon Capitol incursion. Oregon Public Broadcasting. July 27, 2021. https://www.opb.org/article/2021/07/27/former-oregon-rep-mike-nearman-guilty-plea-salem-capitol-incursion/
[32] Freedom Foundation. Mike Nearman. https://www.freedomfoundation.com/author/mnearman/. Accessed March 14, 2023; Mapes, Jeff. Oregon State Representative Takes Job With Anti-Union Group. Oregon Public Broadcasting. August 7, 2019. https://www.opb.org/news/article/mike-nearman-freedom-foundation/
[33] Public Disclosure Commission. Cast Receipts Monetary Contributions. Protect Marriage Washington. June 26, 2009. https://web.pdc.wa.gov/rptimg/default.aspx?repno=100313861
[34] Sledd, James. Washington Politics: Support domestic partnership, R-71. Whitman Wire. September 27, 2009. https://whitmanwire.com/opinion/columnists/2009/09/27/support-referendum-71/; Capital Hill Seattle Blog Staff. The Fight for Referendum 71. Capital Hill Seattle Blog. Octobe 27, 2009. https://www.capitolhillseattle.com/2009/10/the-fight-for-referendum-71/
[35] Richard S. Kuss (Rick Kuss). Cash Receives Monetary Contributions. November 4, 2022. https://apollo.pdc.wa.gov/public/registrations/campaign-finance-report/110124943
[36] Binion, Andrew. Group backing GOP candidate pays $31K for hand recount of loss in Kitsap sheriff’s race. Kitsap Sun. December 2, 2022. https://www.kitsapsun.com/story/news/2022/12/03/hand-recount-gop-loss-kitsap-sheriffs-race/69697609007/; Kitsap Sun. Kitsap County Local Election Results. November 18, 2022. https://www.kitsapsun.com/elections/results/local/
[37] Candidate for Sheriff Rick Kuss at KAPO debate, Bremerton WA. YouTube. 1 month ago. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMz4ILy9hI0. Accessed December 15, 2022.
[38] Rick Kuss for Kitsap County Sheriff. https://www.protectingandserving.com/. Accessed July 15, 2022
[39] Election Rick Kuss Sheriff (R) Kitsap County. https://www.protectingandserving.com/. Accessed September 7, 2022
[40] Rick Kuss for Kitsap County Sheriff. Facebook. July 14, 2022. https://www.facebook.com/VoteRick4Sheriff/posts/pfbid0tQKSbZEQjdCD8Dkctx86QTok8BGfrMJta5Scr6ivhQhxC5fhyZwmH46ZCnTG2qKcl
[41] Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association. CSPOA Strongly Encourages Sheriffs and Local Law Enforcement to Investigate Alleged Election Fraud in Their Jurisdictions. https://cspoa.org/press-release-urgent-cspoa-2022-calling-all-americans-and-law-enforcement/. Accessed September 16, 2022; Stone, Peter. Rightwing sheriffs’ groups ramp up drives to monitor US midterm elections. The Guardian. August 17, 2022. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/aug/17/rightwing-sheriffs-trump-midterm-elections-voting-arizona.
[42] Kuss, Rick. Facebook. December 5, 2022. https://www.facebook.com/VoteRick4Sheriff/posts/pfbid0sofH6UGZ5yf6NAvM9wL6jckY6JNtdJLNr1cghHNpu84sfS1xUVkDEigajoUNK5p5l; KrisAnne Hall, JD. Facebook. December 4, 2022. https://www.facebook.com/krisanne.hall/posts/pfbid032QK7WdVLbBVRiotcF2aKwZTaYehobKcU6GvdDK2Lj4oWEax7To5CEx9E6JsUNEbAl
[43] Kuss, Rick Scott. Facebook. Posted in Moms for Liberty – Kitsap County. August 22, 2022. https://www.facebook.com/groups/moms4libertykitsapwa/posts/1081349079424319/
[44] Kuss, Rick. Facebook. December 14, 2022. https://www.facebook.com/VoteRick4Sheriff/posts/pfbid0w2jzBzXVn6TXiaLUd5ZVU6qP7LcfNEvFc4qggq5nExYdYRCxAoHXomJYvvt8x71Ul
[45] Rick Scott Kuss. Facebook. January 6, 2023. https://www.facebook.com/RickKuss/posts/pfbid088oPcqQAqo9UFnkRgH9bN9rwgGTm1HRE5sc1cMWst5AEL6zQyZ8AdQSVWoenJFd4l
[46] Washington State Public Disclosure Commission. Committee to Elect Rick Kuss for Sheriff. Summary, Full Report Receipts and Expenditures. September 1, 2022 to October 17, 202l2. https://apollo.pdc.wa.gov/public/registrations/campaign-finance-report/110120295
[47] Kris Ann Hall Who is your Sheriff – Protector of Your Rights. 4 months ago. Accessed December 12, 2022. https://www.onenewspage.com/video/20220808/14737427/Kris-Ann-Hall-Who-is-your-Sheriff.htm; Rice, Jessica. Facebook. September 23, 2022. https://www.facebook.com/jessica.wemhoff.9/posts/pfbid02JBiM5rDXTPFpEQzEdLErJunkBFqcwig5ZFCHnY6Xnkqv1f3LbWybQGgsNo3bi1bql
[48] Rice, Jessica. Facebook. October 26, 2022. https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1157473458483640&set=pcb.1157475605150092
[49] Washington Administrative Codes. WAC 139-01-310. https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=139-01-310;
[50] Revised Code of Washington. RCW 43.101.095. https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=43.101.095
[51] Rice, Jessica. Facebook. April 30, 2020. https://www.facebook.com/jessica.wemhoff.9/posts/pfbid0wMnnMk9pMBHojwHs3REz9jrr4RqVkUVpLSpbGX7CQcj4KtTUTe7s545zJajWfBBDl
[52] Rice, Jessica. Facebook. June 5, 2020. https://www.facebook.com/jessica.wemhoff.9/posts/pfbid0WsjMkTLLm7XgNrkcAGbUSEQYDcjZmHNQrcVWZSE3iH9f7RtimhTB6wEBxbu9SB7Vl
[53] Rice, Jessica. Facebook. June 5, 2020. https://www.facebook.com/jessica.wemhoff.9/posts/pfbid0WsjMkTLLm7XgNrkcAGbUSEQYDcjZmHNQrcVWZSE3iH9f7RtimhTB6wEBxbu9SB7Vl; Rice, Jessica. Central Kitsap School District: let kids return to school in the fall. https://www.change.org/p/central-kitsap-school-district-let-kids-return-to-school-in-the-fall-without-masks. Accessed March 9, 2023; Rice, Jessica. Facebook. June 11, 2020. https://www.facebook.com/jessica.wemhoff.9/posts/pfbid038AmK1GptXZTEzUyHoHpN6ocNMNqNVWy55QgtTNAU7mhcVqKSsaXJXbLVuRh7Fzaol
[54] Rice, Jessica. Facebook. October 6, 2020. https://www.facebook.com/jessica.wemhoff.9/posts/pfbid0931A2woYSTkaSu7EACRVd9R26PnFyBkBK7wTzzMR6s5E8yVk4tvXVXr5QRX6Xa4Cl
[55] Rice, Jessica. October 20, 2020. https://www.facebook.com/jessica.wemhoff.9/posts/pfbid0YbsonJRg5Lni22dfGYsAkBrFqmuDd62VTz6zkvG1cjC4B6knytLwnhhDoEiLq2cyl
[56] Rice, Jessica. Facebook. Posted in Moms for Liberty – Kitsap County, WA. January 4, 2023. https://www.facebook.com/groups/826665318226031/user/100026629909122/; Rice, Jessica. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/groups/152590543618013/user/100026629909122/
[57] Rice, Jessica. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/groups/254127036499306/user/100026629909122/
[58] ReOpen Kitsap. Facebook. Members. https://www.facebook.com/groups/522935218372361/members. Accessed March 9, 2023
[59] Cameron, John. Facebook. Posted in South Kitsap Republican Party. November 5, 2022. https://www.facebook.com/groups/skrepublicans/posts/458791779656618/; Cameron, John. Facebook. November 6, 2022. https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=183490997566390&set=g.449432420592554
[60] Wright, Adrian. Facebook. September 2020. https://www.facebook.com/wrightamw/posts/779572389772870:779572389772870; Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association. CSPOA 2019 Conference Report. Newsletter. September 2019. https://myemail.constantcontact.com/October-2019-CSPOA-Conference-Report.html; Wright, Adrian. Facebook. January 18, 2018. https://www.facebook.com/wrightamw/posts/pfbid0ipZWZtHsrbocCkXTfSrpbU8GEr55G677Mggv1dhK56v2z2tVeVLiFyuUEYBhcBLel
[61] Kuss, Rick. Facebook. November 14, 2022. https://www.facebook.com/VoteRick4Sheriff/posts/pfbid02G733efbTmSTGU5rwBKUg7ooeTwwkpD7MgBpa66AnDdvus3HG2qCscDRfZh9kA3eul
[62] Kuss, Rick. Facebook. December 15, 2022. https://www.facebook.com/VoteRick4Sheriff/posts/pfbid02P6KTb7p7LiohAjkooSpXjkQkhfvgiYok5WpxDMMve1wBLVQ8n7qegFEjcfSfjdSil; Kuss, Rick. Facebook. December 14, 2022. https://www.facebook.com/VoteRick4Sheriff/posts/pfbid02EZGbLRbj3TPnc5AfmLnSADysw4rbiTginwRWFYZoH1Ki6m42msdi1hLZupqmMVEdl
[63] Binion, Andrew. Group backing GOP candidate pays $31K for hand recount of loss in Kitsap sheriff’s race. Kitsap Sun. December 2, 2022. https://www.kitsapsun.com/story/news/2022/12/03/hand-recount-gop-loss-kitsap-sheriffs-race/69697609007/; Application for Hand Recount submitted to Kitsap County Auditor’s Office. November 30, 2022.
[64] Binion, Andrew. Group backing GOP candidate pays $31K for hand recount of loss in Kitsap sheriff’s race. Kitsap Sun. December 2, 2022. https://www.kitsapsun.com/story/news/2022/12/03/hand-recount-gop-loss-kitsap-sheriffs-race/69697609007/
[65] Kuss, Rick. Facebook. December 7, 2022. https://www.facebook.com/VoteRick4Sheriff/videos/5447834751991682/; Kuss, Rick. Facebook. November 30, 2022. https://www.facebook.com/VoteRick4Sheriff/posts/pfbid02hsgiiNu1S13tndNKR1BpfxF7mHTz65ZVCBVPoK2nMXChYjEkY7oF32k6vR4B32hml
[66] Supporting Hand Recount for Election Integrity. GiveSendGo. December 5, 2022 Update. https://www.givesendgo.com/recountkitsap. Accessed December 9, 2022. William Campbell, the Bremerton-based designated chair of the group provided a written statement to the Kitsap Sun and stated,
“I don’t think the county can provide a copy of the software that can be analyzed by software engineers, so a hand recount is one check we can commission to verify that the tabulating machines did in fact tally the votes correctly.” Binion, Andrew. Group backing GOP candidate pays $31K for hand recount of loss in Kitsap sheriff’s race. Kitsap Sun. December 2, 2022. https://www.kitsapsun.com/story/news/2022/12/03/hand-recount-gop-loss-kitsap-sheriffs-race/69697609007/; Application for Hand Recount submitted to Kitsap County Auditor’s Office. November 30, 2022.
[67] Ansolabehere, Stephen, Burden, Barry C., Mayer, Kenneth R. and Charles Stewart III. 2018. Learning from Recounts. Election Law Journal. Vol 12 (2), p.100-116; Ansolabehere, Stephen and Andrew Reeves. Using Recounts to Measure the Accuracy of Vote Tabulations: Evidence from New Hampshire Elections 1946-2002. CALTECH/MIT VOTING TECHNOLOGY PROJECT.
[68] Puget Sound Patriots. About/Contact. https://kitsappatriots.wordpress.com/about/. Accessed December 16, 2022; Puget Sound Patriots. Latest News. https://kitsappatriots.wordpress.com/latest-local-news/. Accessed December 16, 2022.; Washington State Public Disclosure Commission. Committee to Elect Rick Kuss for Sheriff. Cash Receipts Monetary Contributions. https://apollo.pdc.wa.gov/public/registrations/campaign-finance-report/110113527. Accessed December 16, 2022.
[69] DeCosta, Chuck. December 7, 2022. https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid02rbScGX7Qww1QDmQUgPs5cRMpL1EJFYwM6Q3fqfUrPc9HMSADdMXnjgZ6d4BRGbwbl&id=100013578827540; DeCosta, Chuck. Facebook. December 6, 2022. https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid0cg42fRFkwaMQ35GGAv6VSLfZR6fcJ39362PA5uRHW9UPzjyMmJsQYtTf33Ctuho1l&id=100013578827540; DeCosta, Chuck. Facebook. December 4, 2022. https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid02BgBHeLrYdqvMPs3oXuGnkA9BmYBb3Qv3TWaYpvzFuXQMMRdeptfvPw9MHzVpFBnrl&id=100013578827540
[70] Kitsap County Republican Party. Facebook. December 7, 2022. https://www.facebook.com/KitsapGOP/posts/pfbid0y5Eby844u7BjDQ6S6EUeoz35q3kD2K6SCCwkBa2q35hjxhuLZV8CxMZ8PGmZsjMml
[71] Kitsap County Republican Party. Events. https://www.facebook.com/events/523004330004680/. Accessed March 23, 2023; Cameron, John. Facebook. Posted in South Kitsap Republican Party. March 21, 2023. https://www.facebook.com/groups/skrepublicans/posts/545655324303596/;
