Name: Giants owner gave to another extremist’s PAC just after ‘apology'
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Giants owner gave to another extremist’s PAC just after ‘apology'

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On Jan. 18, 2021, San Francisco Giants principal owner Charles B. Johnson issued his second statement in four days about hisAfter initially writing that his donations were supposed to be for candidates who "share my strong belief in a free market system," Johnson relented with the closest thing he could muster to an apology, conceding that he would request a refund from Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., and "any other individuals who are found to have engaged in similar behavior," referencing politicians and their ilk who employed inflammatory, violent language prior to the Jan. 6 Capitol riots. Johnson, an 88-year-old reclusive billionaire, noted that and would "reject and denounce any individuals, candidates or elected officials who do not honor our constitution or who espouse or assist in violence of any kind," and ended his statement by promising "to do my part in helping to heal our nation and restore peace and respect in our democratic system."And then roughly two weeks later, according to FEC filings reviewed by SFGATE, Johnson maxed out a $5,000 donation to Elbert Guillory's America — a PAC that advertises its donation link via its affiliation with Guillory, a far-right extremist who offered plaudits to the Capitol rioters just a day after the fatal event occurred.Before he became an internet personality, Guillory, 76, was in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 2007 to 2009, then the Louisiana State Senate from 2009 to 2016. He flipped parties , going from Republican to Democrat in 2007 while competing in a heavily Democratic district, then back to Republican in 2013. At that point, he released what is still his best-known video to date, which has 1.5 million views.From there, Guillory got into PACs. First up was the Free At Last PAC, which was intended to help elect Black conservatives. It appears to be no more. Now his PAC is called Elbert Guillory's America, which, if you read the fine print, espouses a similar mission statement (&nbsp;the 2020 election cycle).When you visit Guillory's website, it's hard to tell if you're there to donate to the PAC or to a more nebulous media platform. The site is littered with Guillory's musings. The "about" tab features his background, with nothing on the PAC itself. The "donate" tab takes you to a asking for funding to "Help Elbert spread the real truth." There are lots of front-and-center options, from $25 up to $5,000.Guillory isn't quite a star in MAGA circles, but he does have a following: a little more than 272,000 likes on his Facebook page, which highlights his cultural and political takes. He sticks to false talking points that are commiserate with the dredges of any comments section. A selection:— He Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is an "illegal alien."— He when describing Vice President Kamala Harris as a "Black woman," adding, "She is not a Black woman. Google it."— He says climate change because it snowed a bunch this year.— unfounded and offensive remarks about trans teenagers.— He of Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion's "WAP" performance at the Grammy Awards: "If one looks like a whore, dresses like a whore, behaves like a whore and talks like a whore then that person will certainly be treated like a whore! Therein lies some of the reason for the rise in battering, beating and even killing of women."And on Jan. 7, in the immediate aftermath of the riots that led to five deaths, Guillory with the caption, "The battle has begun!" The video opens with Guillory's narration: "Patriotic Americans, a message has been sent. To those who would steal elections, would run roughshod over the rights of Americans, who want to throw out America and replace it with some far-left, gender less, godless society, our battle is not about a man nor an offense, but about the character of our nation." While he speaks, photos from the riots are shown.The battle has begun! For more details on the coming fight, watch a video I previously posted a few weeks ago! — Elbert Guillory (@ElbertGuillory)Guillory spent the next few weeks — right around the time Charles B. Johnson was on his multiple statements tour — defending President Trump. (If you're a fan of ranking presidents, on Feb. 14 Guillory asserted that Trump was the fifth-greatest president of all-time, one spot behind Richard Nixon.)And on Feb. 2, Guillory's PAC, which releases monthly reports, notes that it received $5,000 (the maximum annual contribution) from Charles B. Johnson.After Trump's next four years, I personally think President Elbert Guillory has a very nice ring to it. A fine man and Patriot. He's got my vote. 🇺🇸 RT — Bone Tomahawk (@ron_bollinger)As SFGATE previously reported, Johnson gave to these right-wing extremists in addition to Rep. Boebert: Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala.; Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark.; Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga.; Rep. Madison Cawthorn, R-N.C.; Rep. Dan Bishop, R-N.C.; Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio; Rep. Bob Good, R-Va.; Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md.; as well as congressional candidates Laura Loomer, Jeanne Ives, Claudia Tenney and Ted Howze.In 2018, before his last round of controversial donations, Johnson issued another statement and requested another refund when his $2,800 contribution to Mississippi Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, ,&nbsp;was unearthed. Back then, Johnson's lawyer said he&nbsp;should have paid more attention to where he was directing his money, but “sometimes all of us screw up.”Flash forward to December of 2020, a few weeks before the Capitol riots.&nbsp;Guillory uploaded a video — not to be confused with his impending "The battle has begun!" post from Jan. 7 — called "Battle Lines." It opens with a question: "What do we patriots do now?" If you&nbsp;sit through the full 14 minutes, you get Guillory's answer."What do we patriots do now? The answer is: we fight! We fight for God, and we fight for country. With every breath we fight. Because on this day, we fight for the soul and the future of America. We must not, we cannot, surrender."SFGATE staff writer Joshua Bote contributed to this story.

On Jan. 18, 2021, San Francisco Giants principal owner Charles B. Johnson issued his second statement in four days about hisAfter initially writing that his donations were supposed to be for candidates who "share my strong belief in a free market system," Johnson relented with the closest thing he could muster to an apology, conceding that he would request a refund from Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., and "any other individuals who are found to have engaged in similar behavior," referencing politicians and their ilk who employed inflammatory, violent language prior to the Jan. 6 Capitol...

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Sports editor @SFGate. Formerly: @GQMagazine. Contributed to @latimes, @verge, @deadspin, @la_mag, @Grantland33. Email me: alex.shultz@sfgate.com

Alex Shultz

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Giants owner gave to another extremist’s PAC just after ‘apology'

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