Proud Boys trying to covertly infiltrate local governments as they're driven off the national stage: report

On Monday, NPR reported that some members of the Proud Boys are trying to infiltrate local governments as their efforts on the national stage come under increasing scrutiny and outrage.

"The Proud Boys' new goal of pivoting to local politics appears to be a reaction to the group's marginalization on the national stage," reported Tim Mak. "An NPR project tracking the hundreds of individuals prosecuted in the U.S. Capitol riot showed that more than 30 people have alleged Proud Boys connections. [Proud Boys leader Enrique] Tarrio said his organization had been banned from many major U.S. businesses, including Airbnb, Uber, credit card processors and major banks."

"One person seeking local office is Joel Campbell, a former Proud Boy running for City Council in Topeka, Kan," said the report. "Campbell, however, said he left the organization after the Jan. 6 insurrection because he believed it had become too far outside the mainstream. In particular, he disagreed with the Capitol riot and members of the Proud Boys who 'were going out looking for fights during ... protests.'"

The Proud Boys, a self-described "Western Chauvinist" organization with ties to white supremacists, is infamous for its violent street brawls. It has also found itself in dire straits after many of its members have been arrested for participating in the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

This new reporting comes after a series of reports showing that a group linked to the Proud Boys has been plotting a takeover of the Republican Party of Clark County, Nevada, the county that includes Las Vegas — a threat so dramatic the Clark County GOP even canceled a meeting that they feared would be overrun by Proud Boys.

Listen to the original NPR report here: