Derrick Van Orden: a believer in the Big Lie, Insurrection attendee, and campaign finance violator:

• Congressional candidate Derrick Van Orden proudly attended the events on January 6th, though he denied entering Capitol grounds. [Source: National Journal, 8/5/21]
• Derrick Van Orden reiterated his lie on Twitter, saying “Quick note to all of you Keyboard Warriors who keep accusing me of unlawful behavior.  There is 14,000 hours, that is a real number, of video from the surveillance cameras at the Capitol building from Jan 6th. 14,000 hours. And, there about 1400 Left-wing Jackballs who have called the FBI trying to see if I am in any of that footage. Clearly I am not because I did not step foot on the Capitol grounds let alone into the Capitol building because, I don’t break the law.” [Source: Twitter, 5/15/21]
• Further investigation into Derrick Van Orden’s actions at the Insurrection paints a very different picture: he was photographed inside a restricted area on the Capitol grounds that would have required him to cross police barricades to gain access. [Source: Daily Beast, 6/26/21]
• Van Orden did not just attend the Insurrection. He used $4,000 in campaign funds to pay for his travel, hotels, and other expenses, resulting in an FEC complaint against him for improperly using money from his failed 2020 campaign. [Sources: Eau Claire Leader-Telegram, 7/14/21 and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 7/12/21]
• In an Op-Ed defending the Insurrection, Van Orden stated he attended to “stand for the integrity of our electoral system.” [Source: New York Times, 6/7/21]

J.R. Majewski: a QAnon backer, rhetoric peddler, and faithful conspiracy theorist:

• J.R. Majewski, running to represent Ohio’s 9th District, did not attend the Insurrection alone. He brought with him QAnon backer and influencer Zak Paine, who goes by Redpill78 and has been banned from numerous platforms for promoting conspiracy theories. [Source: American Independent, 4/28/21] 
• Majewski raised money to bring 60-70 additional people with him to attend the “Stop the Steal” rally, which quickly became a riot. [Source: WTOL, 4/2/21]
• The Congressional hopeful acknowledged that multiple people he attended the Insurrection with, that he claimed responsibility for bringing to D.C, were injured in the violence that erupted. [Source: WTOL, 4/2/21]
• The morning of the Insurrection, Majewski ominously tweeted photos of himself and “RedPill78” in the D.C. Metro with the caption: “Get Ready.” [Source: Media Matters, 3/17/21]
• J.R. Majewski has frequently signalled his support for QAnon, a potential source of domestic terrorism. He has worn a “Q” shirt, incorporates Q’s into campaign signs, and uses slogans like “Where we go one, we go all.” [Source: Daily Beast, 5/4/22]
• In an interview with QAnon influencer Zak Paine to promote January 6th, Majewski asked for protest advice and stated, “Chaos is a ladder, and I think this is the prime opportunity for patriots to go and support the president.” [Source: Daily Beast, 5/4/22]
• J.R. Majewski does not deny full participation in breaching police barricades at the Insurrection. “We were right there in that first wave of people that came in on our side. We never stopped walking, and we made it all the way to the base of the Capitol Building.” [Source: Media Matters, 3/17/21]

Sandy Smith: an election fraud conspiracy theorist, Insurrectionist, and spewer of violent rhetoric.

• North Carolina’s Sandy Smith wants to represent the state’s 1st District. She also is a loud supporter of The Big Lie, tweeting numerous times her support for overturning the election and her belief that Donald Trump was cheated. [Source: Twitter, 1/3/21, 1/1/21, 12/30/20, 12/28/20]
• Extremist Sandy Smith went so far as to call for the “trials and executions of those found guilty of treason.” [Source: Twitter, 12/1/20]
• Smith announced her presence and actions on January 6th via Twitter, stating that she “Just marched from the Monument to the Capitol #FightForTrump”. Included in her posts were numerous photos showing the march from the Monument to the Capitol. [Source: Twitter, 1/6/21]
• Sandy Smith showed no signs of remorse or regret following the tragic and treasonous events of January 6th. At 10:06 PM, she tweeted “Today I went to DC along with fellow Patriots to support President Trump. I still stand with President Trump and believe he won this election! Stay strong patriots!” [Source: Twitter, 1/6/21]
• Candidate Smith’s dive into voter fraud conspiracies continues into her own 2020 race, which she lost overwhelmingly. She repeatedly called for recounts and audits, despite losing by 8 points. [Source: Twitter, 5/28/21]
• Smith has worked up numerous conspiracy theories to explain her 2020 loss. First she blamed Dominion machines (which were not used in North Carolina), then ballot harvesting, Election Systems and Software machines, voter ID, and fraudulent voter rolls. Her claims have been debunked. [Sources: Twitter, 11/30/20 and Big League Politics, Sandy Smith Op-Ed, 7/28/21]

Jason Riddle: a convicted Insurrectionist.

• Jason Riddle is hoping to be the Republican nominee come November. His responses to Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection Survey clearly show his campaign’s core beliefs. Asked what committee he would want to be on, the response was “My participation in the January 6th riot offers a unique perspective to the ongoing investigation.” He lists his key messages as All Lives Matter, The Steal is Real, and No Mask No Problem. [Source: Ballotpedia, accessed 6/15/22]
• Riddle attended the Stop the Steal Rally and then proceeded to enter the Capitol building. Once inside, he chugged a bottle of wine he found in a Senate office. [Source: NBC 10, 6/13/21]
• Jason Riddle was arrested by the FBI, charged with knowingly entering a restricted building, violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, and theft of government property. [Source: NBC 10, 6/13/21]
• The Congressional hopeful pled guilty to the charges and was ordered to pay restitution, was sentenced to prison, and will face three years of probation. Riddle’s defense pointed to his long standing alcohol related issues during the trial. [Source: WMUR 4/4/22]

 Tina Forte: an expletive-spewing conspiracy theorist and extremist.

• Tina Forte attended the January 6th Insurrection prepared: she was decked out in body armor in photos from that day. [Source: Politico, 8/4/21] 
• Forte was also photographed displaying a white power hand gesture on the day of the attack. [Source: Politico, 8/4/21] 
• Tina Forte filmed herself driving and delivering an incoherent and profanity-laden rant about “everything on the left.” [Source: Indy 100, 11/25/20]