Florida Crypto Man bragged about ‘Legs Day’ PR during interview with J6

[ad_1]

Crypto attorney Samuel Armes had a rocky interview with the January 6 committee in July 2022. While being questioned about a key riot planning document, he found himself on the floor with a leg cramp. Before talking about his connection to the document, he bragged about the weight he had squatted. LoadingSomething is being loaded.

Thank you for your registration!

Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed on the go. download app

A Florida cryptocurrency advocate struggled to keep his cool during questioning over a planning document that prosecutors alleged was linked to the Proud Boys and their efforts during the 6 January.

Samuel Armes, the founder of the Florida Blockchain Business Association, told the January 6 committee during a July 2022 interview that his name was not attached to a document titled “1776 returns,” which was in the possession of the chief. of the Proud Boys, Enrique Tarrio before the uprising. Prosecutors alleged at the Proud Boys’ upcoming seditious conspiracy trial that the document was released by the group in December 2021.

Members of the group pleaded not guilty and denied the charges.

In the midst of being questioned about the author of the document, Armes found himself on the floor with a leg cramp, then boasted about the weight he had just lifted.

“Sorry, I have cramps,” Armes told Rep. Zoe Lofgren during the virtual interview, according to the transcript posted Dec. 23.

“He’s on the ground. Charley horse. Charley horse,” replies Anessa Santos, Armes’ lawyer. “Just exhale.”

According to the transcript, Armes then took the opportunity to move the conversation to his gym routine.

“I’m fine. Just did leg day today and maxed out my PR squats,” Armes said. “By the way, that PR was 425 pounds.”

“It will now be on the Congressional Record, so that’s good,” an anonymous interviewer replied on Jan. 6.

Throughout the interview, Armes confirmed that he had met Tarrio but denied being the author of “1776 Returns”, a 9-page right-wing planning document linked to the Jan. 6 riot, which included plans to occupy the offices of Congress, the Supreme Court. , and CNN. The goal, according to the document, was to “fill the buildings with patriots and communicate our demands” and demand a rerun of the 2020 election with “paper ballots only.”

Armes said one of his associates in the crypto world, Erika Flores, and Tarrio, who knew each other, “were trying to convince me to help him find a way to make money selling t- shirts online”.

Flores did not respond to Insider’s request for comment.

“And they wanted me to brainstorm with them on some t-shirt ideas and start some sort of warehouse in Miami to help underserved kids,” Armes said.

He added that he had written his own 3-5 page document, which he shared with Flores, saying he had used his background in political science to play out “war game” scenarios in case he there would be no peaceful transition between administrations. He acknowledged in the committee interview that elements of his plan had been used in the longer “1776 Returns” document shown to him.

“I ended up sharing it with her on Google Drive,” he told the committee, referring to Flores. “And after that, I didn’t think about it anymore. I never imagined it would become the document I was shown last week, would have had no clue, no idea. It’s horrible for me to even imagine that something I wrote would have been used to find this kind of, as I suppose to call it, ‘terrorist document.'”

Armes’ attorney did not immediately respond to Insider’s requests for comment. A lawyer for Tarrio did not return Insider’s request for comment.

[ad_2]