Federal law enforcement has arrested the ‘ringleader’ of the attack on the Andrew Jackson statue in front of the White House, according to a report from Fox News.
Jason Charter, a Washington resident, was arrested Thursday morning for the destruction of federal property. The FBI and U.S. Park Police made the arrest without incident at Charter’s residence.
Charter has alleged connections to Antifa, a group Trump called a ‘domestic terrorist organization’ last month. Charter attempted to pull down the Jackson statue in Lafayette Park on June 22. Law enforcement officials say Charter was “very organized” saying that he was “on top of the statue and directing people”.
According to several complaints given to the FBI, Charter was also present on June 26 when protestors threatened to remove the Emancipation Monument from Lincoln Park. He is alleged to have assaulted another individual who filed an assault report.
Additionally, the report also contains a tweet from a Twitter account with Jason Charter’s name that says “Tearing down statues of traitors to the nation is a service to this nation not a crime.”
Tearing down statues of traitors to the nation is a service to this nation not a crime. #TearThemDown pic.twitter.com/bPti1Txoyg
— Jason Charter (@JasonRCharter) June 20, 2020
Charter is expected to appear in a U.S. District Court in Washington on Thursday, according to Fox News.