Members of the Proud Boys were concerned about prison sentences and their public image following the Capitol riots in January, according to a transcript of a private chat made public Tuesday.
The Proud Boys are identified by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a hate group. Members describe themselves as “Western chauvinists” and more than 24 have been arrested for participating in the Capitol riots.
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CNN reported that Washington state Proud Boys leader Ethan Nordean’s defense attorneys released rough private chat transcripts – produced by the FBI based on audio messages found on the Telegram app – in a court filing as an attempt to get him out of jail. Nordean’s attorneys claim the Justice Department withheld the messages before a detention hearing in April.
“We are f--ked...they are coming for us,” said one person in the private chat transcripts included in the recent court filings. According to the filings, the conversation happened Feb. 1.
More than 1,500 pages of Telegram chat were recovered, said Rolling Stone.
In other parts of the chat, people criticize how members of the group handled the Jan. 6 riots, call for Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio to step down, discuss what role indicted members should play question whether to hold rallies in the future and complain about possible prison sentences, said CNN. Nordean said in the chats that he was no longer a supporter of Donald Trump, who protestors say inspired them to storm the Capitol, CNN reported.
Due to Nordean’s actions at the Capitol on Jan. 6, he was charged with aiding and abetting injury to government property, obstructing an official proceeding, disorderly conduct, and violently entering a restricted building.
If convicted, he could face more than 30 years in prison, according to Rolling Stone.