Conservative commentator Dinesh D'Souza interviewed Joseph Bolanos, a Manhattan resident who was targeted by the FBI all because a tipster falsely linked the innocent man with the Jan. 6 protesters who entered the Capitol building. As a result of the duress, he suffered two strokes and is now shunned by his neighbors.
Bolanos, a political independent who went to Washington to check out the rally on Jan. 6 but never went inside the Capitol, became an enemy of the FBI. The law enforcement raided his apartment, humiliated him in front of the media, and wrecked his health. D'Souza reveals in the latest episode of The Dinesh D'Souza podcast that what happened to Bolanos should scare every American citizen.
D'Souza asks Bolanos: "Is it a fact that the reason that they [raided Bolanos's apartment and that of his mother] was that somebody kind of 'ratted you out,' in other words, said that 'Oh yeah, this is the guy who was at the Capitol'?"
D'Souza continues, "And the FBI evidently went to a district judge, Gabriel Gorenstein, who gave them a warrant to make this search. Now, I want to emphasize, you never went in the Capitol, but nevertheless, based on some information the FBI got, they were able to convince a judge that there was probable cause to make this armed raid."
"I want to show how, on so little, I mean, clearly they didn't have evidence that you got in the Capitol because you never did. But nevertheless, they came storming down your door .... and then what happened?" questions D'Souza.
Bolanos responds: "I went down to the [FBI] car. And then I started feeling very ill around four hours later. And they said 'You're not under arrest,' they told me, 'but we'll call and ambulance.' They called an ambulance, and I went to the hospital."
"The big mystery is exactly what you just stated. It's that... how could the FBI do so much, I mean, double teams, raids, search warrants, what have you, on the word of one person on a tip line? I mean, that almost seems bizarre, simply because had they checked my geo-location on my phones, they would have realized right away where I was at 1 pm where I was, near the Capitol but not at the breach."
"....This one person [who Bolanos says called the FBI] is a very, I don't wanna characterize him, but it's a neighbor, and in the last year we've had during COVID three or four people who have been radicalized somewhat and they've become political."
"And again, as a block president for 23 years, I've always been apolitical, because I wanna stress the commonality of our neighbors. Nothing political, because the vitriol starts flowing," Bolanos says.
D'Souza then shifts the subject slightly:
"You asked earlier about why would they do this, so let me offer one answer to that question and see whether you agree with it or disagree. They talked ... one of the lead prosecutors, Sherwin I believe his name is, talked about the need after Jan. 6 to use 'shock and awe,' and I think what that means is to send a message."
"It's almost as if you're trying to go after Al-Qaeda. You would pursue every tip. You would treat everybody as a potential terrorist. You're trying to send a message not just to the terrorists themselves, but even to their larger body of sympathizers that 'listen,' you're going to be leaving no stone unturned," D'Souza pivots.
"So, my question to you is: do you think that this is perhaps a reflection of a kind of larger campaign that goes beyond the immediate community of people that went in the Capitol to send a message that 'Hey, we've got our eyes on you, and this is what we can do to ruin your life'?" asks D'Souza.
"Absolutely yes. Because there is so much drama involved in this .... I was at my mother's, they blocked off the street with NYPD, they were walking up and down in uniform, neighbors were confused with what was going on, and the fact that the media on top of that was in sync with them..." responds Bolanos.
"And the fact that there was no protection [for] two hours at the Capitol when we arrived shows me that this is political. This is ... there's something here that... "
"I mean, [the police] used to be the good guys. I've always been [pro] law enforcement. But when you have guys pointing a rifle at you at 6 am..."
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