Antifa militant accused of destroying veterans' memorial gets plea deal for disorderly conduct

Antifa militant and accused "ringleader" Jason Charter, alleged to have committed various serious crimes ranging from destruction of government property to destruction of a veterans' memorial, has pled guilty to the much lesser federal charge of disorderly conduct on restricted grounds.

Charter was considered to be the mastermind behind the toppling of two statues. He participated in the destruction of the Albert Pike historical statue on June 20, 2020, allegedly seen lighting his cigarette off of the flames that engulfed the site. And on the night of June 22, 2020, Charter also attempted to destroy a statue of Andrew Jackson in Lafayette Square near the White House. Charter "was on top of the statue and directing people," a federal official alleged.

The initial charges levelled against Charter included destruction of government property, destruction of veterans' memorials, and aiding and abetting.

Charter also has two assault cases in Washington, DC, that are still ongoing, one for allegedly assaulting a police officer at the #WalkAway event on Washington Monument grounds in October and another for allegedly assaulting Human Events senior editor Jack Posobiec at a Black Lives Matter protest last June.

Leftist activists gathered in Lincoln Park to topple the Emancipation Memorial, a 144-year-old statue that was fully funded by former slaves and black Union Army veterans to commemorate President Abraham Lincoln's abolition of slavery.

Posobiec was present filming an elderly black man who appeared to be a historical tour guide for Capital Buddy Tours as he attempted to beseech the mob not to tear down the historical monument. The man was censored several times through physical force. Antifa agitators then blocked Posobiec documenting the altercation caught on Periscope live stream. The June 26, 2020, situation escalated when Charter, who donned a pair of red ski goggles and bicycle helmet while in black bloc, identified Posobiec and accused him of being a "literal Nazi." Charter then pushed Posobiec in an unproved attack, causing Posobiec to stumble backwards.

At the #WalkAway rally, Charter was taped among "Freedom Fighters" counter-demonstrators wrestling with assigned Park Police. In a criminal affidavit, Charter was observed seizing the upper collar of an officer's tactical vest in an attempt to tackle the cop to the ground. Multiple individuals moved to de-arrest Charter.