Bruce Vielmetti
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
A New Jersey dog trainer has turned to Wisconsin's federal court to sue elements of what his lawsuit describes as a vast alt-right conspiracy to violate his civil rights, and those of many others fearful of the groups' armed intimidation and past violence.
John Bellocchio and his business, Fetch & More, filed the action in federal court in Milwaukee, saying many of the defendants — including those connected to Kenosha unrest in August and others charged last week with plotting to kidnap Michigan's governor — have ties to eastern Wisconsin.
More: Gretchen Whitmer kidnapping conspiracy wasn't the first anti-government plot with Wisconsin ties
His attorney is Jennifer Sirrine of Massachusetts, who sued some of the same defendants, along with Facebook, in another Wisconsin federal case last month, but who was forced off the case by co-counsel recently.
The 27-page civil complaint lays out a mashup of histories of groups like the Proud Boys, events in Kenosha and Charlottesville, Va., and roles of some individuals as reported in news coverage to explain the conspiracy it says is destroying Bellocchio's nationwide business as it violates both his and his clients' civil rights.
"Motivated by racist, xenophobic, and misogynistic beliefs, their overt acts in furtherance of the conspiracy deprived Mr. Bellocchio of his right to be free from violence, intimidation, and harassment, as well as prevented him from utilizing his right of freedom to travel," the complaint reads.
"This violence is rooted in racial animus — the anti-Semitism and hatred towards Black Americans, in particular, is well documented — sentiments they couch in language such as 'Western Values' and 'Make America Great Again.' This is, of course, in addition to the vitriolic misogyny and hatred of anyone who is not a straight, white, cisgender man."
Named as defendants in the suit are The Kenosha Guard, founder Kevin Mathewson; Kyle Rittenhouse; Ryan Balch; Boogaloo Bois; Wolverine Watchmen; Brian Higgins; The Proud Boys; Gavin McInnes; Censored.TV; Brad and Eric Doe, supposed leaders of Proud Boys' Wisconsin chapter; and Florida residents Enrique Tarrio, described as chairman of the Proud Boys, and Augustus Sol Invictus, "commander of the Fraternal Order of Alt-Knights," a military offshoot of the Proud Boys.
Mathewson posted a notice on the Kenosha Guard's Facebook page calling for people to come to Kenosha to defend property. Balch, of Jackson, and Rittenhouse, 17, of Antioch, Illinois, were in Kenosha the night of Aug. 25, armed with rifles, before Rittenhouse fatally shot two people and wounded a third.
Rittenhouse faces homicide charges in the incident, but is fighting extradition from Illinois.
Higgins, 51, is a Wisconsin Dells man charged in Michigan with helping members of Wolverine Watchmen do surveillance on Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's vacation home in September, as part of a charged plot to kidnap her and take her to Wisconsin for a trial.
The suit describes McInnes as the founder of the Proud Boys and owner of CENSORED.TV.
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