According to Jan. 6 interview details from Politico, a random cryptocurrency industry advocate from Florida who claims in college he was groomed to become employed by the CIA and FBI is now claiming that he wrote the initial '1776 Returns' document that has become the centerpiece of the anti-government hate group.
During his interview with the Jan. 6 Committee, Samuel Armes, a former employee with the State Department and Special Operations representative, said that he helped originate some of the key messaging and ideology that the '1776 Returns' document uses as part of its charter and organizational founding.
As the document developed, it outlined a strategic plan that referred to the 1917 Russian Revolution in which an insurgency stormed a palace. The interview is released as five of the Proud Boys' leaders, including national chair Enrique Tarrio are scheduled to go on trial for their actions in the Jan. 6 insurrection. Charges include the detailed planning and strategy of personnel and identifying easy access points to the Capitol.
The '1776 Returns' document first gained national recognition earlier this year when it was used as a piece of key evidence in the trial of Marjorie Taylor Greene to keep her from assuming public office. The document is expected to be a key piece of evidence during the upcoming trial of the Proud Boys' leadership.
