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| CESAR SAYOC |
A fanatical supporter of Donald Trump has pleaded guilty to 65 felonies that include mailing improvised explosive devices to prominent Democrats and a media outlet that he considered anti-Trump.
Cesar Altieri Sayoc, the Filipino American exotic dancer and deejay, issued his plea Thursday (March 21) in a Manhattan federal court.
“Cesar Sayoc has admitted to acts of domestic terrorism that are repulsive to all Americans who cherish a society built on respectful and non-violent political discourse, no matter how strongly held one’s views,” said Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers. “Our democracy will simply not survive if our political discourse includes sending bombs to those we disagree with.
Among the 57-year old Sayoc's felonies are the 16 crude pipe bombs sent via the U.S. Postal Service to prominent individuals -- all of them Democrats -- and news outlet CNN.
“Cesar Sayoc has admitted to acts of domestic terrorism that are repulsive to all Americans who cherish a society built on respectful and non-violent political discourse, no matter how strongly held one’s views,” said Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers. “Our democracy will simply not survive if our political discourse includes sending bombs to those we disagree with.
Among the 57-year old Sayoc's felonies are the 16 crude pipe bombs sent via the U.S. Postal Service to prominent individuals -- all of them Democrats -- and news outlet CNN.
In alphabetical order, Sayoc’s intended victims were former Vice President Joseph Biden, Senator Cory Booker, former CIA Director John Brennan, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, CNN, Robert De Niro, Senator Kamala Harris, former Attorney General Eric Holder, former President Barack Obama, billionaire George Soros, tech giant Thomas Steyer, and Rep. Maxine Walters.
Between Oct. 22 and Nov. 2, 2018, the FBI and the U.S. Postal Service recovered all of the 16 IEDs mailed by Sayoc. All of them had failed to explode.
Sayoc, who was born in Brooklyn but had lived in Florida for more than 30 years, had long struggled with mental illness, said Ronald S. Lowy, a family lawyer. He suggested psychological issues were behind his actions.
Sayoc's mental state made him a prime target for someone like Donald Trump whose rhetoric of hate and racism gave him a sense of purpose and drove him to the extreme right. At the time of his arrest, Sayoc had been living in his van which was plastered with pro-Trump flyers and had an image of Hillary Clinton in a cross-hairs.
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Cesar Sayoc attended a rally for Donald Trump |
It appears Sayoc had an identity problem. Various media reports have painted a picture of a deeply troubled man
Sayoc's mental state made him a prime target for someone like Donald Trump whose rhetoric of hate and racism gave him a sense of purpose and drove him to the extreme right.
He mother was of Italian descent and is a resident of Florida. Sayoc had lived with her of and on. He berated her for being a Democrat and after arguments about his inability to have and maintain a full-time job, kicked him out her condominium in 2015.
“If you want to know about causation,” the attorney said, “there are three reasons.
"Number one: He was isolated from his family. Number two: He hated his mother for being a Democrat—this is a nice way to get back at her, don’t you think? And the third: He heard a voice calling his name, saying that there’s a war happening, that the Democrats are the enemy, that the media is the enemy, and that you (Sayoc) are my soldiers.”
“For five days in November 2018, Cesar Sayoc reigned terror across the country, sending high-ranking officials and former elected leaders explosive packages through the mail,” said U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman. “Thankfully no one was hurt by these dangerous devices, but his actions left an air of fear and divisiveness in their wake. Sayoc has taken responsibility for his crimes, and will soon be sentenced to significant time in prison.”
Sayoc's mental state made him a prime target for someone like Donald Trump whose rhetoric of hate and racism gave him a sense of purpose and drove him to the extreme right.
He mother was of Italian descent and is a resident of Florida. Sayoc had lived with her of and on. He berated her for being a Democrat and after arguments about his inability to have and maintain a full-time job, kicked him out her condominium in 2015.
His father was an immigrant from the Philippines but apparently abandoned his family when Sayoc was still a young boy.
Sayoc claimed to be a member of the Seminole Nation but the tribe says they have no record of him as a member.
Sayoc claimed to be a member of the Seminole Nation but the tribe says they have no record of him as a member.
Lowy told media at a press conference that he believed estrangement from his family caused his client's mental condition to deteriorate.
"Number one: He was isolated from his family. Number two: He hated his mother for being a Democrat—this is a nice way to get back at her, don’t you think? And the third: He heard a voice calling his name, saying that there’s a war happening, that the Democrats are the enemy, that the media is the enemy, and that you (Sayoc) are my soldiers.”
“For five days in November 2018, Cesar Sayoc reigned terror across the country, sending high-ranking officials and former elected leaders explosive packages through the mail,” said U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman. “Thankfully no one was hurt by these dangerous devices, but his actions left an air of fear and divisiveness in their wake. Sayoc has taken responsibility for his crimes, and will soon be sentenced to significant time in prison.”
Sayoc is scheduled to be sentenced before Judge Rakoff on Sept. 12, 2019.
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