Attorney General Keith Ellison probes firm hiring armed guards for Minnesota polling sites

[intheflow]

Source: Minnesota Star Tribune

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has launched an investigation into Tennessee-based company that listed job postings seeking ex-soldiers to provide armed security at polling places in the state next month.

The probe, opened last week, includes a demand for information about who contracted for Atlas Aegis LLC's services, what the contracted security guards' exact roles would be, and what training they will have on the state's voter protection laws.

Atlas Aegis, in a job advertisement that surfaced earlier this month, recruited for "security positions in Minnesota during the November Election and beyond to protect election polls, local businesses and residences from looting and destruction." The listing noted that the jobs were exclusive to U.S. special operations forces veterans.

The company is not licensed in Minnesota and has not disclosed what licensed entity it would work with. It's chairman, Anthony Caudle, recently told the Washington Post its guards would protect against "Antifas" and Black Lives Matter supporters who he said were intent on "destroying the election sites."

Read more: https://www.startribune.com/attorney-general-keith-ellison-probes-firm-hiring-armed-guards-for-minnesota-polling-sites/572804862/

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This smells of Erik Prince.

[Eliot Rosewater]

1. Yeah, that is right...what can we say? Nothing, these enemies of America are attacking us

Hope we prevail.

[Sherman A1]

2. Good

happy to hear this.

[Randomthought]

3. Or little Eric Trump

I don't believe there is a Minnesota company involved as any company based in Minnesota would know that the plan is illegal and would get the company's license jerked. The ad for recruits ran shortly after Eric's trip to Becker, MN.

[Blue Owl]

4. Operation Marginal Gums

n/t

[gristy]

5. Looks like somebody is intent on interfering with voting,

or at least making a show of the possibility.

"Minnesota and federal law are clear: no one may interfere with or intimidate a voter at a polling place, and no one may operate private armed forces in our state," Ellison said in a statement Tuesday announcing the investigation. "The presence of private 'security' at polling places would violate these laws."
-snip-

U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., described the Atlas Aegis listing as "clear voter intimidation" during the U.S. Supreme Court confirmation hearing for Judge Amy Coney Barrett. Ellison and Secretary of State Steve Simon have meanwhile issued notices that any armed contractors stationed at polling places would violate the law. Ellison has requested that Atlas Aegis "cease and desist any planning and stop making any statements about engaging in this activity."

Mr. Ellison and Sen. Klobuchar are definitely saying the right things, and I trust that Mr. Ellison is in conversation with his state's law enforcement folks. These clowns will be no-shows. Guaranteed.

[58Sunliner]

6. So who wants to hire them at $910 dollars a day?

How many cities do they think they will cover? How many per polling place? 125 polling locations in one city-Minneapolis. Times how many guards?60 x 5=300 men for under half of those polling places. Times a daily rate of $910 is $273,000.00. Who is funding this?? A quarter of a million a day for one city, five per polling place, but covering just under half the polling places of one city. Nope, not buying this. 2 weeks would be close to 4 million dollars. I can't imagine they would send one per polling place. Not if they are trying to stop an angry crowd.WTF.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

7. Perhaps their nefarious plan is to draw protesters to the polls.....

to demonstrate against armed intimidators, thereby giving Trump more video to use against legal peaceful protests. There would of course, be a few anonymous right-wingers sent to start violence.

That would be typical of tRump's evil.

KY

[NBachers]

8. Visualize Democratic voters being dragged into vans by goons and disappearing.

[mdbl]

9. Time to call in the state police

to protect voters from rogue weirdos with guns at the polls.

[truthisfreedom]

10. These people think like children.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

12. Adding a link:

Fri Oct 9, 2020: Former Special Forces sought by business group to guard polling sites in Minnesota, company says ...

[intheflow]

13. Thanks for the additional info!

I missed it when WaPo reported this earlier this month. It's hard to keep up.

[Grins]

14. "...intent on "destroying the election sites"?

Anthony Caudle:

"Antifas" and “Black Lives Matter” supporters are intent on "destroying the election sites”?

Really? Name one.