Accused domestic terrorist Schaeffer Cox claims it wasn't HIS idea to attack the government, it was the FBI informant's idea. Yeah, that's the ticket! Update!

Courtesy of TPM:

An Alaska militia leader accused in a plot against the government is accusing an FBI cooperating witness of “pushing and pushing” him to mobilize against the government and fanning the flames of government overthrow. 

Francis “Schaeffer” Cox recalls in an affidavit filed in federal court on Tuesday that he (accompanied by Jeremy Baker and Les Zerbe) met with gun dealer Bill Fulton in Fairbanks in August 2010. Cox says Fulton was in town to participate in a fundraiser for the Interior Conservative Coalition that was being held at Far North Tactical, which is owned by Fulton “protege” Aaron Bennett. 

Cox’s attorney Nelson Traverso wrote in a motion to dismiss the indictment that Fulton’s “complete role has yet to be disclosed.” 

Cox’s affidavit claims that Fulton “kept pushing and pushing the question ‘what my plan was’ and that his men were being mobilized to attack the government.”

I had heard earlier that attacking the informants was going to be the defense's strategy in this case, so this is not surprising. Naming Fulton by name might be an attempt at intimidation, though it comes a little late as I already identified him as the informant back in March.

William Fulton

This tactic of blaming the FBI for "fanning the flames of government overthrow" is going to be a little difficult to prove considering that Cox was recorded laying out EXACTLY what his plan entailed:

Cox and his associates had been plotting in the days before the scheduled court hearing, according to prosecutors. The militia leader detailed his plot at a meeting on Feb. 12 that was secretly recorded by the FBI. 

Cox wanted militia members to respond with violence if authorities tried to arrest him on the misdemeanor warrant, the charging documents say. He allegedly told the militia members, "I know you're ready to die, but you have to be ready to kill," according to an FBI recording referred to in the criminal complaint. 

"At that February 12th meeting COX specifically unveiled his "241" (two for one) plan which called for his militia to respond to attempts to arrest or kill him by responding against state court or law enforcement targets with twice the force and consequences as happened to him or his family," according to the criminal complaint. "If he was arrested, two state targets would be "arrested" (kidnapped). If he was killed, two state targets would be killed. If his house was taken, two state target houses would be burned."

That is a little specific to have simply been the result of flame "fanning" by the FBI informants. 

The defense going after the feds that put the case together is standard operating procedure with these trials involving militia types, but I have to imagine that having that tape of the February 12 meeting played in the courtroom is going to make it quite difficult for Schaeffer Cox to effectively play the victim.

Perhaps he can ask his old friend Sarah Palin (Reference at the 2:56 mark) if she has some tips for him.

Speaking of Palin I REALLY wish the feds were going to work harder connecting the dots between her, Schaeffer Cox, and the militia, but from what I understand they are not willing to go there. I seriously doubt her luck can hold out forever though.

Update: Today presented more bad news for Francis:


An Anchorage grand jury returned new weapons charges Wednesday against militia leader Schaeffer Cox and associate Coleman Barney. 

The new 10-count indictment replaces a six-count indictment returned after Cox and Barney were arrested with three others March 10. 

The new indictment does not not mention any kind of illegal weapon not previously alleged, but adds a new charge against the two men for having firearms “during a crime of violence” on the day they were arrested. The indictment also accuses Cox of making a silencer earlier than previously alleged, back in 2008 when he was a primary candidate for the Alaska Legislature.

Gee I wonder who Cox will blame THIS on?