Anti-drag Texas legislator accused of 'inappropriate relationship': The week in extremism
As details emerged about the man who allegedly leaked hundreds of highly classified military documents, experts say evidence suggests he may have been influenced by far-right extremism. Meanwhile, a Texas lawmaker who has set his sights on drag shows where, he says, "perverted" adults try to take advantage of children, has been accused of an inappropriate relationship with a young intern. And in Arizona, a sheriff with far-right extremist ties is running for U.S. Senate.
It's the week in extremism.
Suspect in leak arrested: Leaked Pentagon documents: Air National Guardsman arrested; Jack Teixeira expected in court Friday
What we know: Who leaked the Pentagon documents? What we know about Jack Teixeira, the suspected DOD leaker
Pentagon leak: Extremist signs?
On Thursday, federal authorities arrested 21-year-old Jack Teixera, the alleged leaker of hundreds of classified military documents. While a motive for leaking the documents remains unclear, experts said there are signs the alleged leaker was influenced by far-right extremism:
The documents were shared in a channel on the Discord messaging platform. Users of the channel also reportedly shared racist and xenophobic memes and jokes, along with talking a lot about guns.
In a report based on information from two anonymous members of the Discord channel, the Washington Post reported the channel's creator, who went by "OG," appears in a video in which he "yells a series of racial and antisemitic slurs into the camera, then fires several rounds at a target."
Discord has also featured in several high-profile incidents of domestic terrorism. The man who killed 10 people in a racist attack on Buffalo supermarket last year was active on Discord and left behind hundreds of pages of postings on the platform.
“Discord is definitely where you see a lot of the extremist chatter online,” Bridget Todd, a writer and host of the podcast "There are No Girls on the Internet" told USA TODAY.
But what has so far emerged about the leaker's motives is not definitive, Daryl Johnson, a security consultant and former senior analyst for domestic terrorism at the Department of Homeland Security told USA TODAY.
“It’s smoke at this point,” Johnson said. “It’s not a fire.”
Anti-drag Texas lawmaker under fire
USA TODAY interviewed Texas State Rep. Bryan Slaton last year for our deep-dive investigation into an all-age drag show that was protected by rifle-wielding left-wing activists. Slaton told us he believes all-age drag shows are put on by “perverted” adults seeking to take advantage of children.
This week, Slaton was accused of having an "inappropriate relationship" with an intern who is under 21 years old.
The Slaton scandal was reported by the Texas Tribune, which obtained a copy of the complaint against Slaton. The lawmaker has not been formally charged with a crime.
Slaton allegedly invited the intern, who is under 21, to his Austin condo where the two drank alcohol, according to the complaint.
Two of Slaton's GOP colleagues appear to call on him to resign following the revelations. "I am absolutely furious at a Republican whom I believe to be a sexual predator," state Rep. Briscoe Cain, wrote on Twitter without naming Slaton. "I’ve never been so ticked off at another legislator. He should resign now."
Slaton is a former youth pastor.
More: Rep. Bryan Slaton hires lawyer amid possible investigation in Texas House
Far-right Arizona sheriff runs for Senate
Mark Lamb, a conservative sheriff from Pinal County, Arizona, has made a name for himself bucking COVID restrictions, casting doubt on 2020 election results and chatting with Q-Anon believers. This week, he announced he will enter the race for the Senate seat held by independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema.
Lamb has a long history of pandering to far-right causes. At the height of the COVID pandemic, he refused to enforce Arizona's stay-at-home order.
He spoke at an event organized by the Federation for American Immigration Reform, an anti-immigrant organization designated a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Lamb took a photo with a QAnon influencer and reportedly signed his book using the QAnon slogan "WWG1WGA," which stands for "Where we go one we go all."
Lamb, who casts himself as a defender of gun rights and border security, also publishes reality TV-style law enforcement videos. He enters what may become an unusual three-way tossup of a race against a Democratic nominee and Sinema, who left the Democratic party last year after bucking it on key issues.
Statistic of the week: 'Too many' (foreigners)
Spreading a racist conspiracy: 'Replacement theory' fuels extremists and shooters. Now a top Border Patrol agent is spreading it.
Explainer: The Great Replacement: Yes, American voter demographics are changing. No, that’s not what Replacement Theory is
In the latest example of a politician parroting the racist and discredited Great Replacement conspiracy theory, a Nebraska legislator argued Wednesday there are too many foreigners living in his state, offering this opinion as the best reason for a six-week abortion ban in Nebraska.
“Our state population has not grown except by those foreigners who have moved here or refugees who have been placed here,” State Rep. Steve Erdman told the Nebraska legislature.
Catch up: Last week in extremism
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Were there signs of extremism in the military Discord leak?
