RNC Eight informant faces criminal charges

I think the Strib made hash out of the original reporting – They label Darst as an “undercover informant” which suggests that he’s a member of the FBI and is working undercover to infiltrate this specific group. What they’re actually referring to is a “confidential informant” because he volunteered to pass along the information to the FBI as a private citizen. Typically, but not always, CI’s are individuals with a criminal history who provide law enforcement with information in exchange for leniency in a sentence or as a result of a probationary arrangement. So it’s not at all shocking if this guy’s got dirty hands in one way or another. Of course, it’s entirely possible that this guy thinks he’s some sort of uber-Patriot or something and he just wanted to cause grief for the protesters and decided he would narc to the FBI like some sort of wannabe cop. Whatever the case, I think your summary of the story is far better than the Strib’s original report because they label the members of the RNC-8 as anarchists without any presumption of innocence until proven guilty.

Good job Paul.

I just noticed that the Strib has buried the original article you linked above and is not featuring a more watered-down version by the same reporter posted at 11:03pm (3/16).

Man waives right to trial in break-in

It’s still presuming the RNC activists guily of anarchy despite the fact that there won’t be a trial on their charges until at least late-summer or early-fall.

I just have to wonder about something, though: Your typical right-winger doesn’t always use their brains and I have this sneaking suspicion that this Darst guy saw something called the “RNC Welcoming Committee” and got all gung-ho to join up. Once he realized that it was an prog/lib activism campaign, horrendously freaked out and ran to the first available Fed he could find to bring them down. Maybe he made up some crap just to punish them for duping him into joining. I guess we’ll find out later this year.

aw, crap…

CORRECTION:

Comment posted March 16, 2009 @ 11:33 pm
I just noticed that the Strib has buried the original article you linked above and is NOW featuring a more watered-down version by the same reporter posted at 11:03pm (3/16).

Comment edit function…please?

[...] on criminal charges including burglary and assault from a January episode, didn’t happen. The Minnesota Independent reports: “Apparently owing to scheduling conflicts for attorneys involved in the case, the legal [...]

The Ramsey County prosecutors involved in the RNC 8 case can’t be happy about their star informant facing five criminal charges.

When the Star Tribune’s Randy Furst wrote about the police infiltration and surveillance of the RNC Welcoming Committee, the group organizing protests against the Republican National Convention, he reviewed a couple reams of reports filed by three of Sheriff Bob Fletcher’s spies.

In his Dec. 1 story, Furst wrote: “The newspaper has not seen most of the reports from an FBI informer who Fletcher says provided ‘the best information.’ Fletcher, who did not provide the newspaper with any reports by the undercover operatives, also declined to allow interviews with the three from his office.”

So, Darst provided “the best information,” but his credibility now could be greatly diminished because of his alleged actions at the house in Minnetrista on Jan. 11. Who involved with the RNC 8 has shown a propensity for violence? It seems to be the FBI’s “confidential reliable informant,” Andy “Panda” Darst.

[...] As the credibility of the FBI’s information plummets, the RNC 8 Defense Committee invites you to an action on Friday, March 27: CALL TO ACTION: SERENADE SUSAN GAERTNER, the prosecuting attorney in the case against the RNC8! On March 27th we’re going to have a little meeting with Susan Gaertner. We’re going to present her with the huge stack of petitions (over 2000 so far) calling for all charges against the RNC8 to be dismissed.  We need everyone to come and JOIN US in a move of community solidarity as we deliver the petitions to Susan Gaertner at her office in St. Paul. Let’s send our message that the community does NOT support her actions in pursuing this case and prosecuting honest dissent in our city and state. [...]

Some in the local urban exploration community, in which Darst until recently held a fairly prominent place, using the pseudonym ‘WarChyld’, believe that Darst was an anarchist first and foremost, then became an urban explorer, then turned to criminal pursuits, then joined the RNC Welcoming Committee, before getting caught pursuing one of his criminal pasttimes. Being a douchebag, he was undoubtedly all too happy to strike a deal… and of the two groups he could narc on, nobody really gives a shit about the guys who sneak into sewers and caves.

So, some of us, at least, are pretty much convinced that his involvement with the Welcoming Committee was entirely voluntary, and based in part on honest ideological compatibility… but that his snitching on them was just Andy looking out for Andy once the shit hit the fan.

[...] waived his right to a jury trial last week. Instead he agreed to abide by Mabley’s determination of guilt or innocence based on written [...]