Conspiracy theorists threaten retaliation against Tennessee judge, district attorney, TBI agents
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — QAnon-aligned voices of the far right are threatening retaliation against a judge, a district attorney and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation agents for their roles in the recent raids of the Millersville Police Department and the residence of conspiracy-minded Assistant Police Chief Shawn Taylor.
Mark Finchem — the Arizona election denier who has associated with QAnon conspiracy theorists and 9/11 truthers — recently revealed in a far-right podcast that Taylor has been working with him for years, and that they are ready to train their sights on the people who are investigating the Millersville “conspiracy cop.”
“That curtain’s been pulled back, and now we are absolutely ready to go after these individuals,” Finchem warned.
FULL STORY: Watch NewsChannel 5 at 6 p.m.
The comments came during a Sept. 11 appearance on the Patriot Streetfighter podcast hosted by Scott McKay.
A prominent figure in the widely mocked and discredited QAnon conspiracy movement, McKay himself has claimed that Americans are secretly living on Mars, suggested that Jared Kushner may be a clone created by the Chinese government, argued that Jews are pulling the levers of “every institution of power on Earth,” praised Adolf Hitler for “fighting the same people that we’re trying to take down today” and threatened to “put … bullets inside” medical professionals involved in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Yet, McKay has long been a go-to source for Shawn Taylor and his conspiracy theorist allies.
Discussing the Millersville situation with Finchem, McKay referenced the well-known admonition in law enforcement circles to “see something, say something.”
“Over here, it’s ‘see something, beat the sh*t out of them’ on Patriot Streetfighter. That’s how we do it here,” the podcaster declared.
Breaking into a broad grin, Finchem replied, “I can’t advocate violence, OK?”
“No, I mean beat the sh*t out of them verbally here,” McKay insisted.
Finchem answered, “Oh, verbally! OK. Yeah, have at it, man.”
McKay continued, “We’re going to beat the sh*t out of their character. We are going to beat the sh*t out of their veil that they hide behind. We’re putting an end to this.”
Watch podcast excerpts in player below:
Former Tennessee Supreme Court Justice William Koch, now dean for the Nashville School of Law, worries about where such violent rhetoric could lead. Still, he said, it represents “a time-honored tradition where people being accused of crime accuse their accusers.”
“So it’s nothing new. It’s just that it’s now on steroids because of social media,” Koch added.
The Millersville Police Department and Shawn Taylor became the focus of a TBI investigation this summer following questions raised by NewsChannel 5 Investigates.
Two weeks ago on Sept. 4, TBI agents carried out simultaneous searches on the police department, as well as Taylor’s residence in nearby Robertson County.
According to the two district attorneys who share jurisdiction for the City of Millersville, the investigation focuses on the potential misuse of sensitive law enforcement data and possible perjury by Millersville police concerning a botched child-predator sting.
Since the raids, Taylor has released video on social media accusing the TBI of interfering with his investigation of a vast international conspiracy that he believes stretches from tiny Millersville, through the nation’s capital, to China.
He has never produced any proof of his often-outlandish claims.
In a public posting on Sept. 6, Finchem claimed — with zero evidence — that the records seized relate to an ongoing criminal investigation that “implicates Sumner County TN Judge Joe Thompson and Soros-supported DA Ray Whitley.”
“Coincidentally, DA Whitely authorized the search warrant, and Judge Thompson signed off on the search warrants,” Finchem wrote.
During the Sept. 11 podcast, Finchem accused Judge Thompson of being “involved in groups that are affiliated with the housing industry and the money-laundering scheme that has been funding everything from local races … all the way up to Letitia James and Fannie Willis and those individuals who are attacking President Trump.”
There is no evidence of any such conspiracy involving the judge nor anyone else.
Finchem also claimed — again, with zero evidence — that Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti is involved in the corruption they imagine.
Scott McKay, during a Sept. 6 interview with Taylor, put photos of both Judge Thompson and DA Whitley on the screen.
“I want to identify two of these characters right now that are part of all of this,” the podcaster said.
After Taylor confirmed the identity of the judge, McKay added: “There you go, folks. This is what they look like, and I’m gonna leave it at that.”
McKay then displayed DA Whitley’s photo.
“Is that your man right there, Ray Whitley?” he asked the assistant police chief.
“That would be him,” Taylor agreed.
McKay continued, “You see what they look like, folks. These are the people that are pulling this bullsh*t.”
In a separate interview with Finchem, the podcaster and the Arizona Republican agreed on their motivation.
“We’re highlighting these people now,” McKay said. “We’re highlighting by name, by photograph. We’re showing them.”
Finchem chimed in, “We’re going to light them up.”
Whitley declined to comment, A spokesperson for the Administrative Office of the Courts replied to NewsChannel 5’s inquiry, saying: “The code of judicial conduct prevents Judge Thompson from making a statement.”
Former Justice Koch said such tactics make members of the judiciary more vulnerable.
“Their pictures are up there. People know who they are and, if anyone wishes to retaliate, it makes them a much easier target,” he continued.
NewsChannel 5 Investigates noted that McKay insisted that he is a pacifist and was not advocating violence.
“Well, listen to my words,” Koch responded. “Not advocating violence is fine, but when you use violent rhetoric to not advocate violence, many people are not going to pick up on the subtleties of that.”
As part of his post on Sept. 6, Finchem also named the TBI personnel who were involved in the search of Taylor’s residence.
He challenged them to come forward with information about the Millersville investigation – or face the consequences.
“We’ve got a whole bunch of you guys that will be interviewed at, uh, when the time is right,” Finchem declared during his interview with McKay.
The TBI has also declined to comment.
As for what form the retaliation will take, McKay said his warnings were tied into his belief in what is called “Tactical Civics.” That’s a far-right notion that citizens can take the law into their own hands through county grand juries and local militias.
“There’s going to be accountability,” he continued. “You guys are crooks, criminals and scumbags — and we’re taking this to the end. We’re taking … these people to the mat.”
In the end, Dean Koch said he also worries about public confidence in the American judicial system.
“This kind of inflammatory rhetoric — especially when there’s no proof of any of the allegations that are being made — can have a tendency to begin to erode the public trust in a system that they should trust,” Koch said.
“We in the United States and in Tennessee are the beneficiaries of one of the most professional, impartial judicial systems in the world.
“The men and women who work in it every day work very hard to do the best they can to call the balls and strikes exactly as they see it.”
Here is how this investigation has unfolded:
May 20, 2024: Meet Millersville’s conspiracy cop. He imagines sinister plots involving some of the country’s most prominent political figures. Taylor recently landed in Millersville as assistant police chief, promising to root out the corruption he sees there.
You can continue reading at this hyperlink.
May 22, 2024: The controversy over Millersville’s conspiracy cop has now become the latest scandal rocking the tiny town just north of Nashville. Now, two city commissioners want a special meeting to figure out how Shawn Taylor landed his job.
You can continue reading Part Two at this link.
May 24, 2024: An attorney for Millersville conspiracy cop Shawn Taylor has told Millersville’s city commission, whom he also represents, that they should not question the assistant police chief’s bizarre theories or psychological fitness.
You can read more of this installment at this link.
May 28, 2024: New podcast video, uncovered by NewsChannel 5 Investigates, reveals how Shawn Taylor spread false and dangerous conspiracy theories about last year’s Covenant School shooting that left three students and three staff members dead.
You can click here to review that story.
May 28, 2024: Anna Caudill agreed to watch the video of Shawn Taylor knowing there might be only so much she could handle. Among the three children and three adults killed that day was her friend, Katherine Koonce.
You can read more of Anna’s story by tapping on this link.
June 3, 2024: First, he went after Millersville’s former mayor. Now, the town’s assistant police chief says his two critics on the city commission could be next. Shawn Taylor made those comments as he turned to a group of far-right podcasters to defend himself. Tap this link to read from those Taylor’s accused.
June 4, 2024: Millersville officials are standing with their assistant police chief and his bizarre conspiracy theories regarding Nashville’s Covenant School shooting. Read how this meeting played out at this link.
June 5, 2024: Bryant Kroll wears a lot of hats. He’s the attorney representing the embattled City of Millersville. He also represents Mayor Tommy Long, who faces accusations of misconduct in an ouster suit. Plus, he’s the attorney for Bryan Morris and Shawn Taylor. To understand the role he plays, you can read that here.
June 6, 2024: In Shawn Taylor’s world — in the immortal words of Taylor Swift — “I’m the problem, it’s me.” I explain how we got here in this piece, which you can click on here.
June 18, 2024: Millersville’s conspiracy cop now has his very own conspiracy-minded attorney. Now, our NewsChannel 5 investigation has discovered that Todd Callender’s own theories are sometimes even more far-fetched than Taylor’s twisted view of the world. Click here to read more about Shawn Taylor’s attorney.
July 15, 2024: What happens when you give people with bizarre conspiracy theories a gun and a badge? Secret recordings from inside the troubled Millersville Police Department provide a sobering answer to that question.
Read more on this investigation by tapping here.
July 22, 2024: In an explosive new development that could bring new trouble for the already-troubled Millersville Police Department, a key player in a child-predator sting says the lead detective on that operation lied under oath.
You can read more about that by clicking here.
July 23, 2024: District Attorney General Robert Nash has asked the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to look into the Millersville Police Department’s handling of a child predator sting, including possible perjury by the lead detective. You can read more about that by tapping here.
July 29, 2024: The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has expanded its probe of the embattled Millersville Police Department, now looking into allegations that officials may have used sensitive law enforcement data to investigate their political enemies.
Read more about that by clicking here.
August 5, 2024: With the Millersville Police Department now the focus of a TBI investigation, NewsChannel 5 Investigates has uncovered new questions about the stories that conspiracy cop Shawn Taylor tells about himself.
You can catch up on the investigation by tapping here.
August 12, 2024: In a perplexing pair of podcast interviews, the Millersville chief of police says the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has begun limiting his department’s access to certain sensitive law enforcement data. Read more about this latest development here.
August 26, 2024: He has helped to fuel some of the wild conspiracy theories inside the troubled Millersville Police Department. He is a self-proclaimed pedophile hunter who believes America is controlled by what he calls “a satanic cult masquerading as Jews.”
Read more about Craig Sawyer by clicking here.
August 27, 2024: Craig Sawyer’s response to my investigation illustrates how conspiracy theorists frequently use wild accusations and blustery language to avoid giving real answers about their bizarre beliefs. Tap here to watch as we dissect his 90-minute diatribe.
September 4, 2024: Tennessee Bureau of Investigation agents raided the Millersville Police Department and Shawn Taylor’s home, executing a pair of search warrants as the criminal investigation into the troubled agency enters a dramatic new phase. Read more about this new twist in the Millersville investigation.
September 10, 2024: “No, a TBI agent didn’t pee in Shawn Taylor’s tub, agency says in response to Taylor’s latest claim.” The headline says it all. Click here.
September 19, 2024: QAnon-aligned voices of the far right are threatening retaliation against a judge, a district attorney and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation agents for their roles in the recent Millersville raids. Details posted here.
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