According to a report from the Daily Beast, the founder of the Proud Boys, who has been keeping his distance from the right-wing group, headed to Las Vegas weeks ago for a meet-up of members and attempted to put down a civil war in the organization that is reportedly coming apart at the seams after revelations that one key leader was an FBI informant.
With Gavin McInnes later describing it as the "weirdest experience of my life," the report by Will Sommer states the group is still "bitterly divided" into two camps (the "Nationals" and "Standard") with McInnes himself noting on his radio show: "Both sides say that the other side is racist and tolerates pedophiles."
According to the report, the Proud Boys are reeling after criminal indictments and finger-pointing in what McInnes labeled a "massive civil war" between members.
Sommer wrote, "The split between the Proud Boys factions dates back to the post-Jan. 6 revelations that Enrique Tarrio, the group's 'chairman,' worked as a federal informant on cases that predated the Proud Boys' existence. Tarrio's home chapter in south Florida split into two rival chapters, dubbed 'Villain City' and 'Vice City,' and clashed online over Tarrio's reputation. Elsewhere in the country, furious members who felt Tarrio had betrayed the club or led them into disaster at the Capitol dubbed him 'Fedrique,' and several chapters announced that they would no longer recognize the authority of national-level leaders like Tarrio."
The report goes on to note that McInnes has attempted to quell the internal fighting -- declaring two controversial members have been ousted and any state chapter that welcomes them would be banned too -- but the internal divisions continue leading McInnes to declare, "You've got a massive civil war. Now it's just two chapters versus everyone else."
Writing, "McInnes' move to issue expulsions suggests that he still holds leadership power over the Proud Boys, despite his claims to the contrary. McInnes didn't respond to requests for comment," Sommer added, "Despite McInnes' efforts, the Proud Boys legal woes have only gotten worse. On Thursday, a prominent Proud Boy named Jeremy Bertino, who operated under the alias 'Noble Beard' while in the organization, pleaded guilty to seditious conspiracy for his role in the planning of the Proud Boys' actions at the Capitol riot. Bertino is cooperating with federal prosecutors as they investigate the Proud Boys."
