Judge orders Proud Boys leader charged in Capitol breach to remain jailed

A federal judge ruled Thursday that a Proud Boys leader charged in connection with the Capitol riot will remain in jail. 

Judge Michael Harvey determined that Charles Donohoe will remain in jail stating that his release would pose a danger to the community, according to Politico. 

Donohoe was indicted in March on conspiracy charges in connection with the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol that killed several people including a Capitol Police officer. 

The man is the third Proud Boys leader ordered to remain in jail while they challenge conspiracy charges in connection to the Capitol riot.

On Monday, the bails of Proud Boys leaders Ethan Nordean and Joseph Biggs were revoked by Judge Timothy Kelly, a Trump appointee. Kelly said that new evidence presented to prosecutors showed that the two men organized members of their group who participated in the Capitol attack. 

Harvey determined that Donohoe was not a higher-up in the Proud Boys leadership, but said that he played a chief role in the events of Jan. 6, according to Politico. The judge concluded that the entirety of Donohoe’s conduct made him too dangerous to release before trial. 

“Here, the danger posed by his release is that he will continue in the future, with his co-conspirators, both indicted and unindicted, to engage in acts of political violence or to aid and abet those who do,” Harvey said, according to the outlet. 

The judge added that Donohoe and other Proud Boys leaders would not halt their actions after the Capitol riot or the transition to the Biden administration.

“They spoke of political violence, of the spirit of 1776, of revolution, of war,” Harvey said, describing private messages obtained by prosecutors, according to Politico. “There’s no evidence in the record that the defendant or co-conspirators saw Jan. 6 or even the transfer of power to the Biden administration … as the end of that struggle.”

In a text conversation, an associate of Donohoe’s allegedly said that Biden’s transition would make the group’s actions ineffective, to which Donohoe replied, “No it’s not. It’s never too late. Ever,” according to Politico.

The organization leaders’ 18-page grand jury indictment, which was unsealed last month, outlined a timeline dating back to early November when the men started posting on social media about a stolen election, then transitioned to fundraising for equipment in December, and finally, discussed their involvement on Jan. 6.

Donohoe, Nordean, Biggs and a fourth leader, Zachary Rehl, were all named in the indictment.