Nebraska Conservative Activist Arrested in U.S. Capitol Insurrection

Jan. 25, 2021, 5:41 p.m. ·

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Selfie image of Straka allegedly shared on social media. (Source: FBI affidavit)

The FBI arrested a 44-year-old Omaha man this month and charged him for actions relating to the violent protest at the U.S. Capitol.




Photos from Brandon Straka's Twitter feed following his removal from an American Airlines flight in June. (Twitter)

Image taken from video identified as Straka at the Pro-Trump rally prior to the attack on the U.S. Capitol. (Source: FBI affidavit)


The FBI Office in Omaha confirmed to NET News Brandon Straka was arrested in the city and detained at Douglas County Corrections. In some public documents, he has listed his residence as New York City.

As a supporter of Donald Trump, Straka found a following on social media and became a popular conservative spokesperson at events nationally.

The U.S. Attorney in the District of Columbia charged Straka with impeding law enforcement, knowingly entering restricted grounds, and engaging in disorderly conduct. An appearance has been scheduled before a federal judge in Omaha on Tuesday.

The charges against Straka came to light in federal court documents filed in Washington D.C. and unsealed today.

The affidavit filed in federal court written by FBI Special Agent Jeremy Desor states several people had contacted the Bureau about Straka's involvement, including a relative who alerted an agent of a video on Straka's Twitter account. The relative claimed it showed the Nebraskan "on the cusp of entering the U.S. Capitol."

Although it had been deleted from his feed, a copy was located on YouTube.

Straka cannot be seen in much of the eight-minute video; however, the person taking the footage reverses the view to reveal themself. The affidavit claims Straka was seen making a speech earlier in the day in the same hat and clothing.

According to Agent Desor's description of Straka's video, it begins with footage of him walking through the crowd and up the steps leading to the entrance of the U.S. Capitol. As the group forces its way forward, the affidavit states Straka can be heard saying, "We're going in. They're saying we're going in. We're going in. We're going in. "

In the video, an officer with the United States Capitol Police can be seen being overtaken by the mob as he attempts to defend himself with a riot shield. The FBI affidavit states Straka said, "Take it away from him." As several people in the crowd grabbed the officer's shield, Straka can be heard yelling, "Take it. Take it." The officer appears to regain control of his shield and retreat from the mob.

Straka, who identifies as a former liberal and gay, founded the "Walk Away" movement encouraging Democrats to leave the party. According to documents on file with the Federal Election Commission, in 2019, he established the WalkAway Campaign political action committee to raise money for like-minded candidates. The Center for Responsive Politics reports the group raised $30,311 but appears to have made no donations to federal candidates.

Among those attending events hosted by Straka was Nebraska's District 2 Congressman Don Bacon, who spoke by invitation in October.

Over the past year, he became a popular guest on far-right conservative media outlets.

In June 2020, Straka earned international headlines after he disrupted an American Airlines flight to New York when he refused to wear a protective face mask in line with its coronavirus policy.

Straka's Facebook and Twitter accounts document his appearances at events promoting former President Donald Trump's reelection. Following Trump's defeat, his attention turned to rallies where he shared unsubstantiated theories questioning election results.