Why do the DNC project the fact that Trump supporters are insane? Because they want to deny the fact that their own base is batshit crazy, and consume itself with unbounded hatred. The first link contains the video of him in action.
TL;DR: he got fired, so he torched the place down and bragged about it online.
Phoenix police have arrested Matthew Egler, a Democratic activist who party officials say has had a long and troubled history with the Maricopa County Party over the years, for the fire that destroyed Arizona Democratic Party’s headquarters last week.
The fire ruined historical political memorabilia and party infrastructure ahead of Tuesday’s primary election.
After a nearly weeklong investigation, Phoenix police on Wednesday identified Egler, 29, of Peoria, in connection with the fire set to the party’s headquarters. The fire occurred after midnight on Friday, last week.
In announcing the arrest, police released footage of a dark car parked near the north side of the building, and a person lighting the fire outside of the building. As the fire grows, the person walks back to the car.
Egler appeared on Wednesday before a Maricopa County commissioner for his initial appearance. He is being held on $75,000 bail; his arraignment is scheduled for Aug. 4 — election day — according to the sheriff’s office.
Phoenix police have arrested Matthew Egler, a Democratic activist who party officials say has had a long and troubled history with the Maricopa County Party over the years, for the fire that destroyed Arizona Democratic Party’s headquarters last week.
The fire ruined historical political memorabilia and party infrastructure ahead of Tuesday’s primary election.
After a nearly weeklong investigation, Phoenix police on Wednesday identified Egler, 29, of Peoria, in connection with the fire set to the party’s headquarters. The fire occurred after midnight on Friday, last week.
In announcing the arrest, police released footage of a dark car parked near the north side of the building, and a person lighting the fire outside of the building. As the fire grows, the person walks back to the car.
Egler appeared on Wednesday before a Maricopa County commissioner for his initial appearance. He is being held on $75,000 bail; his arraignment is scheduled for Aug. 4 — election day — according to the sheriff’s office.
Police announced the arrest on Twitter, saying only 29-year-old Matthew Egler has been arrested in connection with the fire. They did not immediately provide more details about what led to the arrest.
In a document released by the Maricopa County Superior Court, police cited in a probable cause statement Egler’s posts on social media admitting his involvement with the fire and his anger with the Maricopa County Democrats.
He had been previously volunteering for the county Democrats, according to the probable cause statement, but had been banned from volunteering “due to the nature of his previous behaviors.”
Egler reached out to the county Democrats about getting involved in his district, but was not allowed to volunteer. The Arizona Secretary of State’s Office confirmed Wednesday he is still a registered Democrat.
“The defendant became upset with the Maricopa County Democrats for not allowing him to volunteer and in retaliation, deliberately set fire to the Maricopa County Democrats Office,” the record said.
Egler was arrested and booked on one count of arson of an occupied structure, a Class 2 felony, the second-highest felony. Police connected him to the crime after gathering video from surveillance cameras installed at the county party and nearby buildings.
Police said in their probable cause statement that the video is of Egler, who had borrowed a family member’s 2009 Pontiac Vibe to drive to the building to set the fire. He broke the building’s glass doors and placed “an unknown incendiary device inside of the building” and “lit it on fire.”
Democratic leaders in a joint statement said they were “deeply saddened and shocked” by the news. Arizona Democratic Party Chairwoman Felecia Rotellini and Maricopa County Democratic Party Chairman Steven Slugocki said the fire by one of their own would not distract them in November.
“As we work to navigate the process of finding a new home, we want to express our humble thanks and deep appreciation to all those who have reached out during this challenging time and have made generous donations,” their statement said. “We thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”
Tens of thousands of dollars have been donated to Democrats’ recovery fund.
Asked for confirmation that the Secret Service was involved in the investigation into the Egler and the fire, a spokesperson responded to The Arizona Republic: “The Secret Service is aware of this incident. As a matter of practice, the Secret Service does not confirm or comment on the absence or existence of specific investigations.”
The fire last week came after at least one Democrat asked for help in 2017 to keep Egler away.
Matthew Lewandowski, a former first vice chair of the Legislative District 22 Democrats, said he asked for a protective order in March 2017 from Peoria Municipal Court. He said Egler was harassing him.
“The bottom line that came out of it was I was denied because they said it was a First Amendment issue and a party issue that should be handled by the party,” Lewandowski told The Arizona Republic. “Talking with my wife and other people, I said it was a shame no one tried to look at the problem back then.”
A review of a Twitter account he maintains shows Egler, in recent days, posting videos of starting fires, complaining about local party leadership, and ultimately claiming that he “bombed” the office.
In the hours before the fire, Egler was emailing state lawmakers making demands for an emergency session by Friday to change the dates of the elections because of an intimate relationship he claimed to have with Ivanka Trump and his assertion that he may be chosen as the GOP vice presidential nominee. Rep. T.J. Shope, a Coolidge Republican, said he forwarded the correspondence Wednesday to the state Department of Public Safety.
Egler served from 2016 to 2019 as a precinct committeeman in Legislative District 22, which spans the northwest Valley, according to his own bio and party officials. He describes himself on LinkedIn as president of The Valley Leadership Council, described as non-profit intended to fight voter apathy. The council, according to public records, was formed in 2015 in Peoria as an educational non-profit and is not related to the well-known Valley Leadership civic organization.
On his Twitter handle, @ValleyLeader, he says he is a “Quasi dictator, first family, the King of chicago, and many other titles!”
In the weeks and days leading up to the fire, he wrote and shared various posts about Ivanka Trump.
On July 20, days before the Maricopa County Democratic Party’s virtual convention, Egler posted a video of himself outdoors lighting on fire what appear to be voting guides.
“That’s all you can do, guys,” he said. “Light things on fire, here I go.” He lit the fliers on fire, saying, “This is from the 2016 election, when I got rid of Joe Arpaio for the Latinos,” he said of the former county sheriff who is running for re-election. “Call the state legislature today for an emergency session.”
Days after the fire, on July 26, he began sharing local news accounts of the fire. Emojis accompanied several of the news stories and photos.
In one video that appears to be taken on the outdoor patio of a home, he said it “wasn’t very sad” that the building was bombed. He takes issue in rambling comments with the county party’s chair, Steven Slugocki and state Party Chair Felecia Rotellini over “unequal” distribution of donations and “fixing” the election for former Vice President Joe Biden.
He said in the video his complaints were unheeded.
“Pretty sure Steven could understand why he’s bombed,” Egler said in one video. “If he doesn’t understand that, then I call the man a damn liar. I’m sorry that your donations that you’ve sent to Maricopa County Democratic Party as a result of that fire are being wasted.”
Phoenix police have arrested Matthew Egler, a Democratic activist who party officials say has had a long and troubled history with the Maricopa County Party over the years, for the fire that destroyed Arizona Democratic Party’s headquarters last week.
The fire ruined historical political memorabilia and party infrastructure ahead of Tuesday’s primary election.
After a nearly weeklong investigation, Phoenix police on Wednesday identified Egler, 29, of Peoria, in connection with the fire set to the party’s headquarters. The fire occurred after midnight on Friday, last week.
In announcing the arrest, police released footage of a dark car parked near the north side of the building, and a person lighting the fire outside of the building. As the fire grows, the person walks back to the car.
Egler appeared on Wednesday before a Maricopa County commissioner for his initial appearance. He is being held on $75,000 bail; his arraignment is scheduled for Aug. 4 — election day — according to the sheriff’s office.
Police announced the arrest on Twitter, saying only 29-year-old Matthew Egler has been arrested in connection with the fire. They did not immediately provide more details about what led to the arrest.
In a document released by the Maricopa County Superior Court, police cited in a probable cause statement Egler’s posts on social media admitting his involvement with the fire and his anger with the Maricopa County Democrats.
He had been previously volunteering for the county Democrats, according to the probable cause statement, but had been banned from volunteering “due to the nature of his previous behaviors.”
Egler reached out to the county Democrats about getting involved in his district, but was not allowed to volunteer. The Arizona Secretary of State’s Office confirmed Wednesday he is still a registered Democrat.
“The defendant became upset with the Maricopa County Democrats for not allowing him to volunteer and in retaliation, deliberately set fire to the Maricopa County Democrats Office,” the record said.
Egler was arrested and booked on one count of arson of an occupied structure, a Class 2 felony, the second-highest felony. Police connected him to the crime after gathering video from surveillance cameras installed at the county party and nearby buildings.
Police said in their probable cause statement that the video is of Egler, who had borrowed a family member’s 2009 Pontiac Vibe to drive to the building to set the fire. He broke the building’s glass doors and placed “an unknown incendiary device inside of the building” and “lit it on fire.”
Democratic leaders in a joint statement said they were “deeply saddened and shocked” by the news. Arizona Democratic Party Chairwoman Felecia Rotellini and Maricopa County Democratic Party Chairman Steven Slugocki said the fire by one of their own would not distract them in November.
“As we work to navigate the process of finding a new home, we want to express our humble thanks and deep appreciation to all those who have reached out during this challenging time and have made generous donations,” their statement said. “We thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”
Tens of thousands of dollars have been donated to Democrats’ recovery fund.
Asked for confirmation that the Secret Service was involved in the investigation into the Egler and the fire, a spokesperson responded to The Arizona Republic: “The Secret Service is aware of this incident. As a matter of practice, the Secret Service does not confirm or comment on the absence or existence of specific investigations.”
The fire last week came after at least one Democrat asked for help in 2017 to keep Egler away.
Matthew Lewandowski, a former first vice chair of the Legislative District 22 Democrats, said he asked for a protective order in March 2017 from Peoria Municipal Court. He said Egler was harassing him.
“The bottom line that came out of it was I was denied because they said it was a First Amendment issue and a party issue that should be handled by the party,” Lewandowski told The Arizona Republic. “Talking with my wife and other people, I said it was a shame no one tried to look at the problem back then.”
A review of a Twitter account he maintains shows Egler, in recent days, posting videos of starting fires, complaining about local party leadership, and ultimately claiming that he “bombed” the office.
In the hours before the fire, Egler was emailing state lawmakers making demands for an emergency session by Friday to change the dates of the elections because of an intimate relationship he claimed to have with Ivanka Trump and his assertion that he may be chosen as the GOP vice presidential nominee. Rep. T.J. Shope, a Coolidge Republican, said he forwarded the correspondence Wednesday to the state Department of Public Safety.
Egler served from 2016 to 2019 as a precinct committeeman in Legislative District 22, which spans the northwest Valley, according to his own bio and party officials. He describes himself on LinkedIn as president of The Valley Leadership Council, described as non-profit intended to fight voter apathy. The council, according to public records, was formed in 2015 in Peoria as an educational non-profit and is not related to the well-known Valley Leadership civic organization.
On his Twitter handle, @ValleyLeader, he says he is a “Quasi dictator, first family, the King of chicago, and many other titles!”
In the weeks and days leading up to the fire, he wrote and shared various posts about Ivanka Trump.
On July 20, days before the Maricopa County Democratic Party’s virtual convention, Egler posted a video of himself outdoors lighting on fire what appear to be voting guides.
“That’s all you can do, guys,” he said. “Light things on fire, here I go.” He lit the fliers on fire, saying, “This is from the 2016 election, when I got rid of Joe Arpaio for the Latinos,” he said of the former county sheriff who is running for re-election. “Call the state legislature today for an emergency session.”
Days after the fire, on July 26, he began sharing local news accounts of the fire. Emojis accompanied several of the news stories and photos.
In one video that appears to be taken on the outdoor patio of a home, he said it “wasn’t very sad” that the building was bombed. He takes issue in rambling comments with the county party’s chair, Steven Slugocki and state Party Chair Felecia Rotellini over “unequal” distribution of donations and “fixing” the election for former Vice President Joe Biden.
He said in the video his complaints were unheeded.
“Pretty sure Steven could understand why he’s bombed,” Egler said in one video. “If he doesn’t understand that, then I call the man a damn liar. I’m sorry that your donations that you’ve sent to Maricopa County Democratic Party as a result of that fire are being wasted.”
On Tuesday, he posted along with a media account of the fire: “I BOMBED THIS BUILDING DO YOU NOT SEE THAT!!! I BOMBED IT!!!”
A short time later, he posted “I BOMBED THIS BUILDING LISTEN TO WHAT IM SAYING.”
Egler was arrested last year by local police on suspicion of disorderly conduct and damage of property, according to public records. Charges were not filed in the case.
