Political News

Johnston school board candidate associates with right-wing extremist group Proud Boys

A Johnston County candidate for office is touting his affiliation with the far-right extremist group, the Proud Boys, on his campaign website.

Posted Updated
John Fischer is running for Johnston County's Board of Education
By
Adam Owens
, WRAL anchor/reporter
A Johnston County candidate for office is touting his membership in the far-right extremist group, the Proud Boys, on his campaign website and on social media.
John Fischer is running for Johnston County's Board of Education on the basis that slavery, women's rights and racial segregation are "no longer an issue," according to his campaign website.

On his website is a link to the Proud Boys' website, a self-described "western chauvinist," men-only group, known for their participation in street violence and the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Several people were upset to see Fischer's name on the ballot, commenting about his association with the Proud Boys on the Johnston County Board of Elections' Facebook post announcing he had filed for the board.

"Over my dead body will a Proud Boy be in charge of my child's education," one person wrote.

Fischer responded to a list of questions via email on Friday morning and clarified his relationship to the Proud Boys.

“I’ve been a patriot all of my life. I have actively sought similar-minded people to associate with on a fraternal level who want to make a positive difference in our country. There aren’t many men’s clubs left, most have caved to [political] pressure,” he wrote. “The Proud Boys are a place for men of all ethnicities and backgrounds to come together and unite against the erosion of traditional American values -- such as the preservation of the nuclear family, freedom of speech, equality of opportunity, and minimal government.”

However, many experts and researchers who study far-right violence have called the organization a hate group. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, the group supports white nationalist ideologies and is associated with other neo-Nazi organizations.

In email, Fischer defended the Proud Boys, saying that “racism is repulsive and against the core tenets of our fraternity.” He goes on to say that the group believes there is only “one race, the human race.”

It is well-documented the men’s group engages in street violence, usually against anti-fascist counter protesters. The Proud Boys are also accused of attacking journalists in major cities like Los Angeles and Portland, according to the Anti-Defamation League. But Fischer maintains that group members only use violence in defense against “political agitators.”
The Proud Boys have had an active presence in North Carolina, many attending pro-Trump rallies in the area clad in their standard yellow and black. Most recently, several group members attended an anti-government protest on Feb. 25 in Raleigh.
The leader of the North Carolina Proud Boys Charles Donohoe, 34, from Kernersville, pleaded guilty this month to charges related to the Jan. 6 insurrection and agreed to assist the Justice Department's investigation into the group. Fischer said in email that Donohoe’s constitutional rights were violated as he was jailed without trial.

Fischer declined to comment on his role in the Jan. 6 insurrection due to the possibility he could be prosecuted. WRAL News asked Fischer if he climbed on scaffolding at the U.S. Capitol during the Jan 6. insurrection – an accusation against him circulating on Twitter. He replied, “Does my candidacy somehow hinge on my ability to scale tall structures ;)”

Fischer's campaign website said that he grew up in Baltimore, and then moved to Clayton, North Carolina.

He is among the 13 candidates running for three seats on the Johnston County Board of Education.

 Credits 

Copyright 2024 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.