John Earle Sullivan

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John Earle Sullivan
John Earle Sullivan (cropped).jpg
Sullivan at the Washington Monument, 2021
Born (1994-07-18) July 18, 1994 (age 27)
Other names
  • Jayden X
  • Activist John
Occupation
  • Political activist
  • photojournalist
Years active2020–present
OrganizationInsurgence USA

John Earle Sullivan (born (1994-07-18)July 18, 1994[1]), also known as Jayden X,[2] or Activist John,[3] is a political activist, alleged agitator at the January 6 Capitol riot, and photojournalist from Sandy, a suburb of Salt Lake City.[4] After the 2021 United States Capitol attack where Sullivan was present, some on the political right accused him of being affiliated with antifa, though federal authorities had not identified him as such and he has stated that he has no relationship to the antifa movement.[5][6] By May 2021, Sullivan faced eight charges for his involvement in the siege, centered on an allegation he instigated rioters so he could video the violence for sale to news outlets.

Before the January 6 incident, Sullivan had organized and participated in various protests and counterprotests in relation to the Black Lives Matter movement, though many BLM organizers had disavowed him. Some incidents included violence of which he also made documentary footage. According to some cultural observers, the first-person recordings taken by Sullivan have traits of gonzo journalism.[7][8]

Early life[]

Sullivan was adopted and grew up in Stafford, Virginia.[3] His family was conservative and Mormon.[7][3][9] They moved to Utah around 2013. Sullivan got involved in speed skating, despite never having skated on ice before moving to Utah. By 2016 he was driving for Uber, leading to a 2016 television commercial blog post on Uber's site, describing him as "searching for a way to earn money that fit with his busy training schedule".[10]

He trained at the Kearns, Utah, speed-skating rink and participated in the 2018 Olympic trials but failed to qualify for the Olympic team, though he has claimed to have "competed in the 2018 Olympic Games".[7][2][3][11]

His father was a lieutenant colonel, and John Earle Sullivan's brother, James, leads Civilized Awakening, part of the greater far-right Patriot movement.[9] James has stated that John was conservative until recently.[3]

Activism[]

Sullivan started attending Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests in June 2020. According to , the founder of Black Lives Matter-Utah, none of the activists knew him before that.[9] He also has engaged in anti-government commentary, calling for burning down the current political system and replacing it with another system to benefit the people and grant them more freedoms.[3]

Sullivan founded Insurgence USA, a group participating in protests against police violence.[4][12] Sullivan organized events in Provo, Utah. In one event, he invited the Proud Boys to speak to the black activists. He also organized another event, a counter-protest to a pro-police event on June 29, 2020,[13][14][15][16] where a Back the Blue protest was held consisting of a number of vehicles driving around the Provo police station. Sullivan and others organized a counter-protest blocking vehicles. At the protest, shots were fired into a vehicle and one driver was injured. One man, Jesse Taggart, was charged with attempted murder.[17][18] According to a police affidavit after the shooting, Sullivan damaged vehicles and cooperated with Insurgence USA to recruit protesters for a protest. Sullivan indicated that he thought the driver who was shot at was trying to run over protesters.[19][20]

On July 22, 2020, Sullivan held a solo, armed protest at the Utah State Capitol, carrying an AR-15. The protest lasted a couple of hours, during which he was confronted by twenty armed men from Utah Citizens' Alarm.[4][21]

Sullivan was treated with suspicion in left-wing activist circles. Labor activist Talia Jane said he is "reviled throughout the activist space", noting he had been escorted from a December 12 event at Black Lives Matter Plaza after he was identified.[3] Many suspected him to be a double agent working for law enforcement. An activist from Portland warned people not to trust him, after he got local activists arrested in September 2020 by leading them down a wrong route and into a police kettle. Anonymous activists from Seattle published a memo in November 2020 accusing him of being an agent provocateur, pointing to his getting activists arrested or exposing their identities. Activists noted that his brother is a pro-Trump supporter, a supporter of the "Blexit" movement and speaking at a Proud Boys rally. After a man was shot in Provo during the protests in summer 2020, a right-wing militia started appearing to police Sullivan's group. During one of his rallies, Sullivan handed the microphone to a Proud Boys member. According to Lex Scott, he told them that his group wanted to work with them, which led to other left-wing activists refusing to work with him. He later got his group firearms training. As he began carrying assault rifles to protest, this invited hostility from both the right and the left.[3][9]

Others believe Sullivan exploited the racial justice movement for self-gain. Lex Scott said that Sullivan seemed to have "a death wish" as he thought it would be "cool, or amazing, if he was killed at a protest and it started a revolution". She has also denied Sullivan is a member of BLM-Utah and expressed suspicions of his seeking fame, adding he never attended any BLM meetings nor worked alongside them to advance their agenda. The Salt Lake Tribune reporter Robert Gehrke also stated that he had been selling merchandise and indulging in self-promotion on many websites; his Insurgence USA website sells protest-related gear, such as black clothing, gloves, and gas masks, branded "bloc gear collective".[3][9] In Signal chat groups, Sullivan would discuss himself from various sock puppet accounts.[7]

Participation in the 2021 Capitol attack[]

For broader coverage of the conspiracy theory, see Antifa (United States) § Capitol attack (2021).
2021 United States
Capitol attack
2021 storming of the United States Capitol 09 (cropped).jpg
Protesters gathered outside the Capitol on January 6, 2021
Timeline of events
Background
2020 presidential election
and other causes
Related groups and persons
Participants
List
Law enforcement response
Aftermath
Biden inauguration
Investigations and charges
Corporate actions
Reactions
Impeachment
  • v
  • t

During the storming of the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021, Sullivan entered the building with documentary filmmaker Jade Sacker and took extensive video, including video of the shooting of Ashli Babbitt.[2][1][22][23] Sullivan could be heard saying "Dude, this shit's gonna go viral" after Babbit's death.[7] Sacker, a Los Angeles-based independent documentary filmmaker,[24] was filming John Sullivan as part of a documentary on him and his brother, James.[25] Sullivan's own recording is a first-person documentary film, that he released on YouTube under the title Shooting and Storming of the US Capitol in Washington DC. J. Hoberman, a film critic writing in Artforum, reviewed Sullivan's film, describing it as "cinema as forensic evidence" and comparing it to the Zapruder film of the Kennedy assassination, while also characterizing it as a "gonzo reportage".[8] Parts of the footage were used in the second impeachment trial of Donald Trump.

Sullivan later spoke to police and FBI agents about the shooting.[26] His involvement in the riots was cited by pro-Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani and The Gateway Pundit as part of a false theory alleging antifa's involvement in the riots.[27] Sullivan said he is not affiliated with BLM or antifa, nor with the pro-Trump crowd, although he supports Black Lives Matter. When asked about the use of antifa hashtags in his social media posts, he rejected being associated with the group, but has stated that he, along with his group, is anti-fascist. He also has called himself a citizen journalist. Saying he was at the Capitol storming as a photojournalist, he filmed himself chanting "we about to burn this shit down" and "we accomplished this shit. We did this together. Fuck yeah! We are all a part of this history", "We gotta get this shit burned", and "It's our house, motherfuckers!" He also used a megaphone and shouted support. He said that he only said and did these things to "blend in" with the pro-Trump mob.[9][15][3][28] His brother, James Sullivan, said that he sent the FBI tips about John Sullivan about a week after the storming.[7] Federal authorities had not identified Sullivan as a member of antifa[5] and the FBI had announced on January 8 there was no evidence of antifa involvement in the siege.[29] BLM Utah had for months disassociated itself from Sullivan on concerns that he might be associated with the Proud Boys.[30][31]

On January 13, 2021, an arrest warrant with three counts related to the DC riot was signed by a magistrate judge. The affidavit was based on work by the Counterterrorism Section of the United States Department of Justice National Security Division and the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia. The affidavit stated that Sullivan entered the Capitol's west side by climbing through a broken window. He later approached another window and a knocking noise was heard, after which it was broken. Sullivan stated, "I broke it. My bad, my apologies. Well they already broke a window, so you know, I didn't know I hit it that hard. No one got that on camera." One charge, "40 U.S.C. § 5104(e)(2)(D)", is a specific crime of entering or remaining in the House of Congress without authorization. He also offered a knife to the protestors while they tried to break a window.[32][33][34][35][36] In the video, he also asks the police to not obstruct the protestors as he did not want any harm to come to them.[28] The arrest document also stated he had made a statement outside the Capitol about "burning this shit down" and "ripping Trump out of office" during a speech he made in August 2020 while pointing to the White House.[37][38]

Sullivan was arrested in Tooele County, Utah, and appeared before a judge on January 15, 2021. Two computers, two cell phones, and camera equipment were seized by the FBI. He was released with strict pre-trial conditions.[7][15][39][40] An FBI affidavit disputes the claim he was a photojournalist, as he had no press credentials.[2] He was released as the authorities did not have sufficient proof to keep him in custody, and under the conditions that he keeps a job where he has to work full-time; remains at home except to go to work, church or court; only posts to social media to request jobs; does not leave Utah and surrenders his passport to the authorities; does not work anymore with Insurgence USA though still being allowed to handle its financial transactions and tax returns; has a mental health evaluation; does not possess firearms.[41][42]

By May 2021, Sullivan faced eight charges for his involvement in the siege, including an allegation he incited rioters so he could video the violence, later selling the video to news outlets for $90,000, which prosecutors confiscated. Prosecutors alleged Sullivan told another individual, "I brought my megaphone to instigate shit. I was like, guys we're going inside, we're fucking shit up... I'm gonna make these Trump supporters fuck all this shit up." CNN, NBC News, Australian Broadcasting Corporation and The Washington Post were among the media outlets that paid Sullivan for his video.[43][44][45][46]

References[]

  1. ^ a b Foulger, Matthew. "AFFIDAVIT IN SUPPORT OF CRIMINAL COMPLAINT AND ARREST WARRANT". U.S. Department of Justice. Archived from the original on 14 January 2021. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d Dickinson, Tim (14 January 2021). "'I Don't Think She Deserved to Die': Black Activist Who Filmed Ashli Babbitt Shooting Speaks Out". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 13 January 2021. Retrieved 15 January 2021. John Sullivan was arrested and charged on January 14th, according to the Department of Justice, with "one count of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, one count of violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, and one count of interfering with law enforcement engaged in the lawful performance of their official duties incident to and during the commission of civil disorder." An FBI affidavit discounts Sullivan's claim to be a journalist ... John Sullivan, a.k.a. Jayden X, is a civil rights activist and crowdfunded video journalist ... Sullivan's profile is unique: The 26-year-old is a resident of Utah and a former competitive speed skater who participated in the 2018 Olympic trials.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Mackey, Robert (14 January 2021). "John Sullivan, Who Filmed Shooting of Ashli Babbitt in Capitol, Detained on Federal Charges". The Intercept. Retrieved 2021-01-15. Sullivan, who began calling himself "Activist John" last summer
  4. ^ a b c Okoren, Nicolle (27 July 2020). "The birth of a militia: how an armed group polices Black Lives Matter protests". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 January 2021. Sullivan, one of the few black men organizing for racial justice in Utah, is not from Provo but Sandy, a suburb of Salt Lake City.
  5. ^ a b Curt Devine, Majlie de Puy Kamp and Scott Glover. "Giuliani uses unfounded 'Antifa' argument to defend Trump". CNN.
  6. ^ "PolitiFact - No proof man who filmed Capitol riot led it, or was antifa". @politifact.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Marantz, Andrew (February 3, 2021). "When Reporting Becomes a Defense for Rioting". The New Yorker. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
  8. ^ a b "J. Hoberman on Jayden X's Shooting and Storming of the US Capitol in Washington DC". Artforum. Retrieved 2021-02-15.
  9. ^ a b c d e f Gehrke, Robert (16 January 2021). "What we know about John Sullivan, charged with rioting at the U.S. Capitol". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
  10. ^ "Meet John: An Aspiring Speed Skater". Uber Blog. 4 August 2016. Archived from the original on 8 January 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  11. ^ "Uber TV Commercial, 'Speed Skater'". iSpot.tv | Realtime TV Advertising Performance Measurement.
  12. ^ "About Insurgence USA". Retrieved 2020-01-17.
  13. ^ "Two more charged in Provo protest that turned violent". Deseret News. 13 July 2020. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  14. ^ "Organizer of Provo protest arrested, accused of rioting, making threats". Deseret News. 10 July 2020. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  15. ^ a b c Tom Jackman; Marissa J. Lang; Jon Swaine (16 January 2021). "Man who shot video of fatal Capitol shooting is arrested, remains focus of political storm". The Washington Post. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  16. ^ Bink, Addy (14 January 2021). "Utah activist who provided video of deadly D.C. riot to investigators arrested". KTVX. The criminal complaint filed against Sullivan lists him as the "leader of an organization called Insurgence USA through which he organizes protests". According to Sullivan's website, Sullivan was in the U.S. Capitol in early January when rioters violently entered the building.
  17. ^ Knox, Annie (4 August 2020). "Utahn charged with shooting at driver during Provo protest ordered to pay higher bail or return to jail". Deseret News. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
  18. ^ Roberts, Alyssa (3 July 2020). "Police: Man arrested for shooting at Provo protest is known". KUTV. Some, including an organizer with Insurgence USA, indicated they believe the driver who was shot was trying to drive into protesters who were blocking the road. "After seeing the violence... and everything that transpired that day, it came to my realization that this place needed it the most, because nowhere in Salt Lake City have I seen that just blatant hatred, people trying to run people over. Just disrespectful," John Sullivan told 2News.
  19. ^ Reavy, Pat (10 July 2020). "Organizer of Provo protest arrested, accused of rioting, making threats". Deseret News.
  20. ^ Richardson, Ryan. "Top Utah County stories (2): Provo protests inspire state legislation". Daily Herald (Utah). One of the organizers of the event, 25-year-old John Earle Sullivan of Sandy, was also taken into custody for his involvement in the unlawful assembly. The protest was considered unlawful because organizers had not received a permit for the event, according to arrest documents. Sullivan and his organization, Insurgence USA, reportedly promoted the event online and made social media postings that advocated for other protesters to join. Authorities alleged that Sullivan committed riotous acts as a protest organizer, and he was arrested under the suspicion of third-degree felony rioting, class A misdemeanor criminal mischief and class B misdemeanor threat of violence.
  21. ^ Ewan Palmer (23 July 2020). "20 men with guns confront solo armed black protester at Utah Capitol". Newsweek. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
  22. ^ "Video shows fatal shooting of Ashli Babbitt in the Capitol". Washington Post via Seattle Times. 8 January 2021. John Sullivan, a liberal activist who shoots video at a range of protests and who filmed the footage on Wednesday
  23. ^ Ruiz, Michael. "BLM activist inside Capitol claims he was 'documenting' riots". Fox News. Sullivan says he was standing near Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt when she was shot and killed in the Capitol, and video appears to show him on the scene.
  24. ^ "About". Jade Sacker. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  25. ^ "Woman in video at Capitol with arrested activist is not with CNN". AP News. 15 January 2021. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  26. ^ McCarthy, Bill (January 8, 2021). "Facebook posts wrongly claim left-wing activist, antifa 'incited' US Capitol mob". PolitiFact. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  27. ^ Herndon, Astead W. (17 January 2021). "How Republicans Are Warping Reality Around the Capitol Attack". The New York Times. Retrieved 18 January 2021. Reached by email, the site's founder, Jim Hoft, did not reply to questions but did send along several of his own news articles related to claims of antifa involvement in the Capitol attack — citing the case of a man named John Sullivan, whom the right-wing media has dubbed an "antifa leader" in efforts to prove its theory of infiltration. He was the same man cited by Mr. Giuliani in tweets that threatened to "expose and place total blame on John and the 226 members of antifa that instigated the Capitol 'riot'."
  28. ^ a b Donaldson, Amy; Glass, Brittany (7 January 2021). "Utah activist inside U.S. Capitol says woman killed was first to try and enter House chamber". Deseret News. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
  29. ^ Alba, Davey (January 8, 2021). "F.B.I. says there is no evidence antifa participated in storming the Capitol". The New York Times.
  30. ^ "PolitiFact - Facebook posts wrongly claim left-wing activist, antifa 'incited' US Capitol mob". @politifact.
  31. ^ Jackman, Tom; Lang, Marissa J.; Swaine, Jon. "Man who shot video of fatal Capitol shooting is arrested, remains focus of political storm". The Washington Post.
  32. ^ "Utah Man Charged in Federal Court Following Events at the United States Capitol". justice.gov. 14 January 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  33. ^ Matthew B. Foulger (13 January 2021). "AFFIDAVIT IN SUPPORT OF CRIMINAL COMPLAINT AND ARREST WARRANT". justice.gov. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  34. ^ "Criminal complaint". justice.gov. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  35. ^ Isaac Hale (16 January 2021). "Man arrested during Provo protests back in custody related to Capitol breach". Daily Herald. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  36. ^ Ariane Datil (16 January 2021). "Utah man who recorded nearly 2 hours of his participation in Capitol riots arrested". WUSA9. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  37. ^ Cox, Erin (14 January 2021). "Utah activist John Sullivan arrested for involvement in Capitol riot". Fox13Now. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
  38. ^ Ruiz, Michael (8 January 2021). "BLM activist inside Capitol claims he was 'documenting' riots, once said 'burn it all down'". Fox News. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
  39. ^ Dennis Romboy (15 January 2021). "Judge releases Utahn charged in U.S. Capitol riot despite objections". Deseret News. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  40. ^ Reavy, Pat (January 14, 2021). "Salt Lake Valley man charged federally for alleged role in U.S. Capitol riot". Deseret News. Retrieved January 14, 2021. A Sandy man who participated in a pro-Trump rally at the U.S. Capitol that turned into a violent attack has been charged for his alleged involvement that day. John Earle Sullivan, 25, was charged federally on Wednesday with being on restricted property, civil disorder and "violent entry or disorderly conduct", according to a complaint filed in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia.
  41. ^ Eppolito, Sophia (15 January 2021). "Utah activist who filmed Capitol shooting released from jail". Associated Press, Report for America. The Spectrum. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  42. ^ Tabin, Sara (16 January 2021). "Utah's John Sullivan, accused of taking part in riot at U.S. Capitol, is out of jail". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  43. ^ "U.S. seizes $90,000 from man who sold footage of U.S. Capitol riot". Reuters. May 21, 2021.
  44. ^ "Government Defends Seizure of $90k from Capitol Siege Defendant Who Sold Video to CNN, NBC". May 22, 2021.
  45. ^ Tom Jackman, Marissa J. Lang & Jon Swaine (Jan. 16, 2021), "Man who shot video of fatal Capitol shooting is arrested, remains focus of political storm, The Washington Post: "Sullivan sold The Washington Post rights to use a portion of his video for a story on the shooting."
  46. ^ (Feb. 16, 2021), "United States v. SULLIVAN Memorandum in Support of Pretrial Detention — Document #14" District Court, District of Columbia Docket Number: 1:21-cr-00078

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