WASHINGTON — The son of a former Republican candidate for the New York State Assembly bragged on social media that he was one of the “key players” in pushing past police lines during the Capitol riot on January 6, according to charging documents unsealed in federal court this week.
Arrest warrants for Gregory Purdy, his brother Matthew Purdy and a third defendant, Robert Turner, were authorized by a federal judge earlier this month. In addition to the four misdemeanor counts they all share, Gregory Purdy and Turner are additionally charged with civil disorder, obstruction and assaulting, resisting or impeding police.
According to court documents, Purdy and other members of his family, including his brother and father – who is also named Greg and who has not been charged in the Capitol riot case – traveled to Washington, D.C., on a chartered bus on January 6. Once there, investigators say Purdy helped lead the charge against police attempting to keep rioters from entering the U.S. Capitol Building, where Congress had convened a joint session to certify Electoral College votes.
“Today my group and I were key players in conducting peaceful pushes,” Purdy wrote on social media. “The game plan was to talk [to] the officers and tell them to STOP FOLLOWING ORDERS AND UPHOLD THE CONSTITUTION… When they didn’t listen we pushed through (without hurting them of course) we did these peaceful pushes all the way into the capital [sic] building.”
In another post, Purdy wrote, “Peep my war cry at the end as we push through this riot team after they didn’t listen to us.”
In still another post, Purdy wrote, “This was after the last videos after we successfully got through their first force!!! Look at the f****** blood on the ground.”
Investigators were able to find numerous videos posted by Purdy both outside and inside the Capitol building – including one captioned “Inside the capital [sic] getting teargassed!” – as well as cell phone video allegedly capturing a conversation between Purdy and Turner on their way back to New York.
“We’re getting everybody pumped up… six, five, four, three, two,” Purdy said, allegedly recalling the events of the day.
“When you hit one, I turned around and I bum rushed them. I knew you were bum rushing them too,” Turner allegedly said.
Purdy also said he believed it was his job to “uphold the Constitution and do a f****** rebellion,” to which Turner allegedly responded, “I called for a revolution, yes. A revolution.”
According to Purdy’s LinkedIn, he managed his father's campaign for the New York State Assembly’s District 95 seat in 2016 as a Republican, and currently owns an online marketing company in the New York City area.
A federal magistrate judge granted Purdy pretrial release last week on an unsecured $75,000 bond under condition he surrender his passport and not possess firearms. Purdy must also attend any drug or mental health counseling required by pretrial services.
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