PA At High Risk Of Militia-Led Activity On Election Day: Study

PENNSYLVANIA — Findings in a new joint study show several states are at risk for armed, milita-led activity on Election Day, and Pennsylvania is one of them.

The study, titled "Standing By: Right-Wing Militia Groups and the US Election" and referring to President Donald Trump's statement for groups such as the Proud Boys to "stand by," was conducted by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED) and MilitiaWatch

The report looked at the latest data on right-wing militia organizations across the country, identifying the most active groups and mapping the locations most likely to experience heightened militia activity before, during, and after the election.

Groups mentioned in the report include Three Percenters, Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, Light Foot Militia, Civilian Defense Force, American Contingency, Patriot Prayer, Boogaloo Bois, and People’s Rights.

Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Oregon were all categorized as having the highest risk of increased militia activity in the election and post-election period, the report states.

The report says the Proud Boys, Boogaloo Bois, American Contingency, Civilian Defense Force, Light Foot Militia, Mountain Top Watch, Pennsylvania Volunteer Militia, Domestic Terrorism Response Organization, and Carlisle Light Infantry Militia have been active in Pennsylvania over recent months.

Pennsylvania Homeland Security Director Marcus Brown told USA Today that concerns lay more in post-election events rather than on election day due to potential disagreements as to who won the election.

Brown said his agency, the Pennsylvania Department of State, Pennsylvania State Police, and the Pennsylvania National Guard have been discussing election safety for weeks.

See the full report here.