— Governors across the country have received letters ordering them to
step down from office in three days, the first step in a
quasi-religious, “freedom movement” group’s elaborate plan to disband
parts of the U.S. government, according to the group’s Web site.
The group, calling itself the Guardians of the free
Republics, describes the plan as a nonviolent and legal attempt to
“restore the true Republic.”
Still, at least one governor’s office beefed up
security measures as federal officials investigated whether the group’s
message could be considered dangerous.
“We just decided that it was appropriate to err on the side of caution,” said
Officials in that state closed all but one entrance
to the Capitol building and added metal detectors after Gibbons
received the letter this week, Hettrick said.
Governors in
police were notified that the “threatening letters” were sent. The
letter arrived
CHP would not discuss whether any changes had been made to the governor’s security detail.
Federal law enforcement officials would not comment
on the record discussing an ongoing investigation. A source in a
governor’s office that received the letter confirmed its wording.
The Guardians of the free Republics appear to
inhabit the murky world of the anti-government and anti-tax movement.
Their philosophy — rife with reinterpretation of arcane federal law —
mingles with the anti-Federal Reserve mantra espoused by followers of
Texas Rep.
“Everything is going to be orderly and no one is going to be harmed in this movement,” said
a man who identified himself as a follower of the Guardians of the free
Republics. “It’s going to be really good. There’s going to be funds
enough for everybody.”
Hall said packets containing the letters had been sent to all 50 governors.
The letters arrived as law enforcement officials
appear to be closely monitoring anti-government extremists. Authorities
arrested several members of a Christian militia group in
over the weekend. Prosecutors have described the Hutaree militia as a
violent anti-government organization planning to kill police officers.
Guardians of the free Republics appear to emphasize
the peaceful nature of their proposed revolution, although their
language is at times opaque and foreboding.
The group believes that an act of
The plan to restore America begins with the assembly
of “de jure grand juries” in all 50 states, according to the group’s
Web site. Followers were asked to sign a “covenant of office” and are
described as “elders.” The group must act quickly to avert some
impending enforcement of martial law, said
Kennedy, who claimed the group was attracting
followers in droves from the so-called “freedom movement,” described
this plan as a “revelation” and compared the coming events to “a time
to parallel the storming of Jericho … and all the great Biblical
events of history.”
“Calamity is coming for this world,” he said on the
radio program, adding that it would be peaceful. “We forgive all who
repent for their crimes against mankind. You could also expect that
many of those people will not repent, and if they are recidivists we
will deal with them accordingly.”
Kennedy’s radio show is carried on
Republicbroadcasting.org, an Internet radio site featuring ad for
survivalist gear, hemp products and gold traders.
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(c) 2010, Tribune Co.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
