(Ken Silva, Headline USA) Members of the right-wing nationalist group Patriot Front are suing a left-wing activist who infiltrated the organization and released their personal information online—claiming that the infiltrator violated their First Amendment rights.
The lawsuit from Patriot Front members targets David Capito, who apparently changed his name to Vyacheslav Arkadyevich Arkhangelskiy last year. According to the lawsuit, Capito is a member of the Antifa-affiliated Puget Sound John Brown Gun Club.
Capito joined Patriot Front in July 2021 under the false name “Vincent Washington,” with the intent to dox the group, according to the lawsuit, which was filed last month in federal court.
“Because of Capito’s experience as a professional photographer, Patriot Front assigned him to take photos for some of their local get-togethers in the Pacific Northwest,” the lawsuit said.
“When nobody was watching, Capito abused his role by taking photographs of members’ license plates and other personal information in order to expose their identities later,” the Patriot Front members said in the lawsuit.
“Using his false identity, Capito also ingratiated himself into the social circles of some Patriot Front members, where he used hidden microphones and cameras to record them.”
In November 2021, Capito worked with left-wing hackers to download a trove of internal Patriot Front communications, videos and other records, the lawsuit said. The data was then released on left-wing site Unicorn Riot.
As a result of the public doxxing, the Patriot Front plaintiffs lost their jobs, they said. The plaintiffs are Paul Gancarz, Daniel Turetchi, Colton Brown, James Johnson and his wife, Amelia Johnson.
Brown’s parents also kicked him out of their house, the lawsuit stated.
“As a result of Capito’s unlawful actions, which included not only malicious doxxing but trespassing onto the Browns’ property, taking photographs of the property, and posting the photographs as part of the doxxing, Brown lost his job and became estranged from his father, who required him to leave the Brown residence,” the lawsuit stated.
“Brown thus found himself without a home and without a job.”
The plaintiffs accuse Capito of violating the federal Computer Fraud and Abuse Act—which prohibits the unauthorized use of computers—as well as a variety of state laws. They seek an unspecified amount of money in damages.
Capito has yet to respond to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit is the latest legal battle involving the Patriot Front. The group is also defending itself from a suit that accuses its members of vandalizing a mural honoring black tennis star Arthur Ashe.
Additionally, Patriot Front leader Thomas Rousseau is set to stand trial in Idaho on Sept. 22 for allegedly planning a riot at a pride event last year. Five members were convicted in that case last month and sentenced to several days in jail.
Ken Silva is a staff writer at Headline USA. Follow him at twitter.com/jd_cashless.
