The Guardian: US sheriffs rebel against state mask orders even as Covid-19 spreads - July 31, 2020
“According to Cloee Cooper, a research analyst at Political Research Associates, this is not coincidental. All of these sheriffs are members of organizations associated with the constitutional sheriffs movement, or under their growing influence.”
“In an email, Cooper said that her research had revealed that “Richard Mack was encouraging sheriffs to defy shelter-in-place orders and support reopen protests”. While the CSPOA was founded to resist Obama-era firearms restrictions, they had pivoted to resisting mask and lockdown orders, defining them as signs of ‘impending tyranny.’”
“She added that constitutional sheriffs had moved to deputize posses in response to Black Lives Matter protests, or had fueled false rumors about busloads of “Antifa” activists rolling into rural areas.”
“While constitutional sheriffs claim to act in the name of public safety, they may actually encourage disorder. One research paper suggests that the election of a constitutionalist sheriff in a county may increase the likelihood of political violence against federal officials by up to 50%.”
“Cooper added that ‘sheriffs that openly align with the Patriot movement, like constitutional sheriffs, (pave) the way for a further slide toward authoritarianism.’”