At an event yesterday intended to showcase the candidates whom the new conservative political group FEC United is supporting, founder Joe Oltmann threatened to dox journalists who report negatively about the group.
Oltmann claims FEC United has identified Antifa members “that are actually journalists writing stories about us.”
“I’ll put them on billboards,” he told the crowd of Republican candidates and supporters, which took place at Bandimere Speedway in Morrison. “We’re coming for you… If you’re part of the media and you write something bad about us, better take your byline off it.”
FEC United is working closely with the Republican Party both nationally and here in Colorado. The event, billed as the FEC United Final Countdown Members Meeting, featured videos messages from both Eric Trump and Colorado GOP Vice Chair Kristi Burton Brown.
Statehouse GOP officials and candidates in attendance included Rep. Lori Saine of Firestone; Rep. Mark Baisley of Colorado Springs; Lynn Gerber, who’s running for a Jefferson County Senate seat; and Bob Roth, a candidate for an Arapahoe County senate seat. Republican state House candidates in attendance included: Vanessa DeMott, Tony Caputo, Larry Braig, and Jonathan Woodley. Congressional candidate Casper Stockham also attended.
Other FEC United Pledge statehouse candidates include Caroline Cornell in Arapahoe County and Stephanie Luck in Otero and Pueblo counties. FEC is organizing field efforts for candidates who sign its pledge.
John Bandimere, who owns the racetrack where the event took place, is suing Colorado and Gov. Polis over COVID-19 public health restrictions, and had hosted previous events opposing lockdowns and closure orders.
The venue was patrolled by numerous FEC United militia members, armed with both pistols and semiautomatic assault rifles, who were posted at driveway and walkway entrances, as well as circulating in golf carts.
Led by former Benghazi security contractor John “Tig” Tiegen, the militia, called United American Defense Force, is another option for people who want to join FEC United.
Tiegen also spoke at the event, promoting UADF and justifying the membership fee by listing the benefits such as discounted gear, training and insurance coverage for the use of force.
“We’re still working on U.S. Law Shield,” Tiegen said, referring to an insurance policy. “So you hopefully you’ll be covered with that. That kind of protects you if you do have to use any kind of force. And it’s just not deadly force with the weapon. It’s even if you have to smack someone in the face, you know?”
Tiegen, who’s been tapped multiple times as a spokesman for the Trump Campaign, also noted that UADF wasn’t the only militia offering to train members in “urban warfare,” but he dismissed the other groups because he said they can’t turn out members like his can.
“We have to come together. Even if you don’t join UADF. I know Joe doesn’t want me to say this, but there are other organizations that aren’t going to charge you a member fee. There are other organizations that they’ll train you how to do urban warfare. They’ll train you had do all kinds of stuff. But they never show up either. That’s why I’m standing here, because they never showed up.”
A Colorado Times Recorder reporter attended the event, providing personal and professional identification at registration. Within five minutes of entering, an armed member of the United American Defense Force militia approached him from behind and placed a hand firmly on the reporter’s shoulder. The guard then escorted him from the premises, saying the owners had asked for his removal.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article incorrectly attributed a Trump family video message to FEC by Eric Trump to Donald Trump Jr.
