On Oct. 5, the Press-Enterprise broke the story that Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco admits to his former membership in the Oath Keepers, a far-right group some of whose members are being prosecuted for the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol building.
According to reports of the Southern California News Group, Press-Enterprise owner, Bianco stated that he had been a dues-paying member for one year only. “I found an email from 2014 where I joined for a year. I don’t even remember it,” he reportedly said.
The PE reported that Bianco also stated, “I’m not ashamed of what I did in 2014,” adding that he had nothing to do with the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. “I have been vocally against what happened there. What they did — the few that went into the building — was completely wrong and against the law and they should be held accountable for it.”
The PE story stated that Bianco went on to dispute media portrayals of the Oath Keepers as an “anti-government militia.” According to the PE, he said members of far-left organizations like antifa and Black Lives Matter have committed acts of violence and vandalism, with far less attention paid by the media and the FBI, regarding which the PE states he further commented: “I lost faith in the FBI a long time ago. The line workers are first rate. Their administration has no business carrying a badge. They strayed from nonbiased law enforcement a long time ago.”
The PE further reported that Bianco said that, to him, the Oath Keepers support and stand by the same oath he, Bianco, took as a peace officer and sheriff: to defend the constitutions of the United States and California and to protect against all enemies, foreign and domestic.
“In today’s politically toxic environment,” the PE further quoted him as saying, “if you support the Constitution of the United States of America you are evil — you’re branded as some evil, right-wing conspirator.”
On Oct. 7, Riverside County 3rd District Supervisor Chuck Washington issued the following statement regarding Sheriff Bianco: “I don’t believe that it is appropriate for an elected sheriff to be defending and explaining the mission of an organization such as the Oath Keepers. His constituents expect him to focus on upholding the law and protecting and serving the people of Riverside County.”
By email, the Town Crier asked for comment from Idyllwild Fire Chief Mark LaMont, who has worked with Sheriff Bianco, but we received nothing back by the TC’s press deadline.
