Federal prosecutors who opted not to pursue charges against “Antifa” members cannot prosecute a Huntington Beach man accused of helping establish a Southern California-based militant, white supremacist group whose members attacked rivals at Southern California political rallies, a judge ruled Wednesday.
Criminal charges against Robert Paul Rundo for allegedly recruiting and training others to commit violence at rallies in Huntington Beach, San Bernardino and Berkeley were dismissed by U.S. District Judge Cormac J. Carney, who accused the U.S. Attorney’s Office of selective prosecution for pursuing suspected “far-right, white supremacist nationalists” but not “Antifa and other extremist, far-left groups.”
Previous efforts by the same judge to throw out the same charges for different reasons have been overruled by appellate judges. Judge Carney also came under scrutiny several years ago over a “racially insensitive” comment that led to his stepping down as chief judge of the federal Central District Court of California.
Prosecutors have identified Rundo, 33, as the founding member of the Rise Above Movement, which authorities have described as a “combat ready, militant group of a new nationalist white supremacy and identify movement” comprised of “serial rioters” with an “anti-Semitic, racist ideology.”
Rundo and other co-defendants are accused of attacking people at a March 2017 Huntington Beach rally held in support of then-President Donald Trump that turned into a violent melee at Bolsa Chica State Beach. He was also accused of violently confronting people at a San Bernardino anti-Islamic law rally in 2017 that included violence and acts of vandalism and at a rally in Berkeley.
Rundo touted the “violent acts” on social media in order to recruit prospective members to the Rise Above Movement, prosecutors alleged. Other people tied to the Rise Above Movement have previously been convicted in federal court, including four members…
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