ICYMI: AZFamily: Arizona GOP candidate faces new scrutiny over Jan. 6 and militia ties
In Case You Missed It, Paul Carver is once again in the spotlight for his ties to the Oath Keepers and the Three Percenters, and for his attendance at the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol.
In congressional testimony, the leader of the Oath Keepers said he had dinner with Paul Carver on January 5th, 2021, the night before the attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Paul Carver also served as the lead agent for the Three Percenters, a paramilitary organization that believes the U.S. government is tyrannical and prepares members to overthrow it, from April 2021 until June 2022.
Despite Carver’s documented history with the group and the questions surrounding his presence in Washington on January 6,Republican Speaker of the House Steve Montenegro’s PAC, the House Victory Fund, spent more than $14,000 to bolster Carver’s campaign during the primary.
“Is that what we really want? Because when I talk to voters, when I knock on doors, they’re more worried about everyday things,” said Incumbent Democratic Rep. Stephanie Simacek, who was interviewed by AZFamily about Carver’s record. “They don’t want somebody who’s going to be out there and destructive and denying elections and feeling like it’s okay to be violent when things don’t go your way. It’s disappointing that he has involvement in these extreme groups. Not only showing up on January 6th, but also being a prior member of the Three Percenters.”
AZ Family:Arizona GOP candidate faces new scrutiny over Jan. 6 and militia ties
While Carver has recently sought to distance himself from the events of Jan. 6, including deleting Facebook posts that appeared to show him at the U.S. Capitol on the day of the riot, official records continue to raise questions about his involvement.
Specifically, in congressional testimony, the leader of the Oath Keepers, a far-right extremist group that played a central role in attempting to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power, said he had dinner with Paul Carver in Washington, D.C., the night before the attack.
The Three Percenters, specifically the “Union of Three Percenter American Patriots,” is a paramilitary organization linked to violent demonstrations across the nation, including the deadly 2017 white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. According to reporting from the Arizona Mirror, Carver served as the lead agent for the group’s Arizona chapter from April 2021 to June 2022.
Despite the controversy surrounding Carver’s past associations, Republican leadership has heavily backed his bid for the legislature. The House Victory Fund, a political action committee controlled by Republican House Speaker Steve Montenegro, spent more than $14,000 to bolster Carver’s campaign during the primary election, according to campaign finance filings on the Arizona Secretary of State’s website.
Carver was unavailable for an interview to address his past ties. In a text message Thursday morning, he declined a meeting, writing, “I’m not going to be able to meet up any time soon.”
