Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

mahatmakanejeeves

(56,897 posts)
Fri Sep 28, 2018, 12:38 PM Sep 2018

Exposed Idaho Neo-Nazi robocaller had carried out similar activities in Alexandria, Virginia

LaughedAtHat Retweeted:

New from me: neonazi Scott Rhodes has sent racist and anti Semitic robocalls to six states.

Now he is using them to try to hurt the smalltown Idaho newspaper that first exposed him.



The far right

Neo-Nazi activist behind racist robocalls linked to threats of Idaho newspaper

Sandpoint Reader is target of new calls describing publisher as ‘cancer’ that ‘needs to be burned out’

Jason Wilson in Portland, Oregon

@jason_a_w
Fri 28 Sep 2018 06.00 EDT

A neo-Nazi activist who sent out hostile and abusive robocalls aimed at top politicians and others has been linked to threats to the publisher of a small local newspaper that first exposed his activities. ... Scott Rhodes, who lives in Sandpoint, Idaho, was first identified by the Sandpoint Reader and linked with a campaign that targeted high-profile political races across the US and even murder victims with racist and antisemitic robocalls.

In recent days threatening robocalls and letters have been sent to the publishers of the Reader, an alternative newspaper, people linked to it and residents in the small rural town. ... The robocall described journalist Ben Olson, the publisher of the Reader, as “a cancer on wholesome north Idaho”, adding that “cancer needs to be burned out”.

When Rhodes was asked about the call by the Guardian via email, he sent a link to a YouTube video that reproduced the robocall audio, and featured video of a large stack of copies of the Sandpoint Reader being set on fire. ... That video has since been removed by YouTube. The hundreds of newspapers burned in the video represent a significant slice of the Reader’s print run, which Olson says is 5,000 a week.
....

The Reader unmasked Rhodes last December, after the neo-Nazi activist left racist propaganda at local high schools. They also revealed that he had carried out similar activities in Alexandria, Virginia. ... Rhodes makes a virulently racist video podcast called The Road to Power. He has been associated with similar robocalls in Idaho and at least five other states.
....

Person of interest in racist CD distribution at SHS also investigated in Virginia for similar actions

· JANUARY 4, 2018

By Cameron Rasmusson and Ben Olson
Reader Staff

Scott Rhodes, the person of interest in the distribution of racist propaganda at Sandpoint High School, has been investigated by another police department over suspicious activity, according to a Sandpoint Police Department report.

Police officers in Alexandria, Va., examined Rhodes for “possibly making threatening phone calls to local politicians in the city of Alexandria,” the report states. After local politicians received harassing, racist phone calls, investigating officers connected the phone numbers to Rhodes.

According to Crystal Nosal, public information officer for Alexandria Police Department, Virginia law requires that the identities of people under investigation can’t be disclosed until they are charged with a crime. However, she did confirm that three or four months ago, Alexandria police opened an investigation into harassing phone calls to Alexandria Mayor Allison Silberberg and several City Council members.

“Some of the content was anti-Semitic in nature,” she said. ... Investigating officer Sgt. Will Salas’ inquiries eventually pointed toward Sandpoint.
Latest Discussions»Region Forums»Virginia»Exposed Idaho Neo-Nazi ro...