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Stop the Steal

Tax ID:

st-op the steal
Founded:

2020
Location:

Montgomery, Alabama
National Organizer:

Ali Alexander

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Stop the Steal is a far-right advocacy organization which formed to contest the results of the 2020 election after Democratic nominee Joe Biden (D) was declared the winner. The organization alleged that then-President Donald Trump (R) had won the election, and that the results had been stolen by widespread voter fraud. The organization is distinct from another by the same name that was founded in 2016 by former Trump advisor Roger Stone, though Stone has frequently spoken on behalf of the new group. 1 2 In April 2016, Stone accused Senator Ted Cruz’s (D-TX) campaign of committing voter fraud within states in which he won the vote during the 2016 Election’s Republican Primary such as, “Oklahoma, Kansas, Utah, Hawaii and Texas, frankly, they ought to put the handcuffs on him…the Trump people can go to credentials and challenge the seating of hundreds, literally hundreds of Ted Cruz’s delegates who were fraudulently elected.” 3 He said that further details would be found on the website StoptTheSteal.org, but also noted, “We have collected and documented with sworn affidavits thousands of claims of voter irregularities in the states where Ted Cruz has won. And we’re prepared to present them to the credentials committee.”4

Stop the Steal organized rallies around the country in November and December 2020, alleging that the election had been stolen and that President Trump was the rightful winner. 5 Stop the Steal organized the March to Save America on January 5 and 6, 2021, after which some protestors rioted and stormed the U.S. Capitol Building. 6 7

Critics blamed Stop the Steal for inspiring the riots. 8 The organization denied any affiliation with the rioters, calling any allegations of its involvement “defamatory and untrue.” 9 Nonetheless, Stop the Steal founder and far-right activist Ali Alexander encouraged founders to pursue “Victory or death!” in a January 5 speech at the Capitol, and at least one Stop the Steal organizer participated in the Capitol breach. 10 11 During the riots, Alexander posted a video of himself overlooking the rioters in which he said, “I don’t disavow this. I do not denounce this.” 12

Activity

In November 2020, Alabama-based law firm Baron Coleman registered Stop the Steal as a limited liability corporation. The connection between the newest iteration of Stop the Steal and another group of the same name founded in 2016 by Roger Stone is unclear, with Stone at points denying his affiliation with the new organization and at others insisting that the organization had only “revived the Stop the Steal movement” he started years earlier. 13 14

In fall 2020, Stop the Steal founder Ali Alexander tweeted that he was seeking to bring “Stop the Steal out of retirement” and build “infrastructure to stop the steal.” 15 Both Alexander and Stone’s organizations have focused on challenging alleged voter fraud, and Stone appeared in Stop the Steal-related advocacy campaigns in 2020. 16 Alexander registered the Stop the Steal website on November 4, 2020, and a woman with ties to Stone’s former wife launched the corresponding Facebook organization that same day. 17

Just one day after its November 2020 founding, Stop the Steal carried out its first protest in Washington, D.C. to protest the results of the 2020 election, claiming that then-President Donald Trump was the rightful winner. 18 The organization grew to more than 300,000 followers on Facebook just 24 hours after it established its page, at which point Facebook executives shut the page down for allegedly inciting violence and delegitimizing the electoral process. 19 20

In the weeks leading up to the certification of the 2020 election, Stop the Steal planned rallies around the country, focusing on swing states to protest President Trump’s loss. 21

January 6 Capitol Riots

Stop the Steal organized the “March to Save America” in Washington, D.C. on January 5 and 6, 2021. The rallies were designed to coincide with Congress certifying the results of the 2020 election, with protestors calling on members of Congress to refuse to certify the results on the grounds that the election had been stolen by widespread voter fraud. Other organizations involved in sponsoring the rally included the Rule of Law Defense Fund, Turning Point Action, Tea Party Patriots, and Women for America First. 22 23 On January 6, a large group of protestors stormed the United States Capitol building. 24

Following the Capitol riots, critics blamed Stop the Steal and other organizations which sponsored the march for the violence, alleging that they promoted “disinformation” about the 2020 election. 25 Stop the Steal denied any affiliation with the rioters, calling any allegations of its involvement “defamatory and untrue.” 26

Despite denying any association with the breach of the Capitol, Alexander admitted that the purpose of the rally was to pressure members of Congress to refuse to certify the election results because they “saw everyone outside and said ‘I can’t be on the other side of that mob.’” 27 In his January 5 speech, Alexander encouraged followers to pursue “Victory or death!” 28 During the Capitol riot, Stop the Steal organizer and right-of-center activist Brandon Straka texted a group chat of Stop the Steal officials that he “just joined the breach.” 29

Several march organizers expressed concern that the march could become violent, especially after Stop the Steal secured a permit for the rally under a falsified name, One Nation Under God. 30 During the riots, Alexander posted a video of himself to Twitter overlooking rioters entering the Capitol in which he said, “I don’t disavow this. I do not denounce this.” 31

Leadership

Ali Alexander (formerly Ali Akbar) is the founder and national organizer of Stop the Steal. 32 Alexander has a long history of far-right activism in the Republican party, supporting far-right former House of Representatives candidate Curtis Bostic in 2013. In 2014, Alexander founded the Black Conservatives Fund, which received a $150,000 donation from Robert Mercer but remained relatively inactive. From 2014 until 2018, Alexander focused on political consulting, while remaining in charge of the Black Conservatives Fund. 33

In 2018, Alexander emerged as a supporter of President Trump, assisting organizing the failed American Priority Conference, which was designed as an alternative to the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). Alexander then joined Roger Stone’s first iteration of Stop the Steal in 2018. 34 35 The following year, Alexander launched Culttture, a tabloid blog that focused on the Trump administration and other right-of-center celebrity figures. 36

Alexander has been involved in several controversies, including claiming that Vice President Kamala Harris (D) is not an “American Black” due to her Jamaican and Indian heritage and publicly noting whether conservative commentators with whom he disagreed were Jewish. 37 38 The Stop the Steal donation page linked to cryptocurrency accounts associated with Alexander and to his personal PayPal, CashApp, and Amazon wishlist accounts. In 2007 and 2008, Alexander was convicted on two counts of felony fraud. 39 40

References

  1. Kuznia, Rob, Curt Devine, Nelli Black, and Drew Griffin. “Stop the Steal’s Massive Disinformation Campaign Connected to Roger Stone.” CNN. November 14, 2020. https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/13/business/stop-the-steal-disinformation-campaign-invs/index.html.
  2. Hayden, Michael Edison. “Law Firm Tied to Far-Right Fringe Registers Stop the Steal LLC in Alabama.” Southern Poverty Law Center. December 18, 2020. https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2020/12/18/law-firm-tied-far-right-fringe-registers-stop-steal-llc-alabama.
  3. Riehl, Dan. “Roger Stone: ‘They Ought to Put the Handcuffs On’ Ted Cruz for Vote Fraud.” Breitbart, April 2, 2016. https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2016/04/02/roger-stone-they-ought-to-put-the-handcuffs-on-ted-cruz-for-vote-fraud/
  4. Riehl, Dan. “Roger Stone: ‘They Ought to Put the Handcuffs On’ Ted Cruz for Vote Fraud.” Breitbart, April 2, 2016. https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2016/04/02/roger-stone-they-ought-to-put-the-handcuffs-on-ted-cruz-for-vote-fraud/
  5. Sollenberger, Roger. “Six Degrees of Sedition: Was Master Trickster Roger Stone behind the Capitol Riot?” Salon. January 29, 2021. https://www.salon.com/2021/01/29/six-degrees-of-sedition-was-master-trickster-roger-stone-behind-the-capitol-riot/.
  6. Burkhalter, Eddie. “Alabama AG Leads Nonprofit That Helped Organize March at Capitol.” Alabama Political Reporter. January 7, 2021. https://www.alreporter.com/2021/01/07/alabama-ag-leads-nonprofit-that-helped-organize-march-at-capitol/.
  7. Schwartz, Brian. “Pro-Trump Dark Money Groups Organized the Rally That Led to Deadly Capitol Hill Riot.” CNBC. April 9, 2021. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/09/pro-trump-dark-money-groups-organized-the-rally-that-led-to-deadly-capitol-hill-riot.html.
  8. Sollenberger, Roger. “Six Degrees of Sedition: Was Master Trickster Roger Stone behind the Capitol Riot?” Salon. January 29, 2021. https://www.salon.com/2021/01/29/six-degrees-of-sedition-was-master-trickster-roger-stone-behind-the-capitol-riot/.
  9. Tolan, Casey. “Former Trump Campaign Staffers Worked on National Mall Rally the Day of the Capitol Riot.” CNN. January 19, 2021. https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/19/politics/capitol-riot-permits-trump-campaign-invs/index.html.
  10. Sapien, Joaquin, and Joshua Kaplan. “New Details Suggest Senior Trump Aides Knew Jan. 6 Rally Could Get Chaotic.” ProPublica. June 25, 2021. https://www.propublica.org/article/new-details-suggest-senior-trump-aides-knew-jan-6-rally-could-get-chaotic.
  11. Sapien, Joaquin, and Joshua Kaplan. “New Details Suggest Senior Trump Aides Knew Jan. 6 Rally Could Get Chaotic.” ProPublica. June 25, 2021. https://www.propublica.org/article/new-details-suggest-senior-trump-aides-knew-jan-6-rally-could-get-chaotic.
  12. Steakin, Will, John Santucci, and Katherine Folders. “Trump Allies Helped Plan, Promote Rally That Led to Capitol Attack.” ABC News. January 8, 2021. https://abcnews.go.com/US/trump-allies-helped-plan-promote-rally-led-capitol/story?id=75119209.
  13. Kuznia, Rob, Curt Devine, Nelli Black, and Drew Griffin. “Stop the Steal’s Massive Disinformation Campaign Connected to Roger Stone.” CNN. November 14, 2020. https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/13/business/stop-the-steal-disinformation-campaign-invs/index.html.
  14. Sollenberger, Roger. “Six Degrees of Sedition: Was Master Trickster Roger Stone behind the Capitol Riot?” Salon. January 29, 2021. https://www.salon.com/2021/01/29/six-degrees-of-sedition-was-master-trickster-roger-stone-behind-the-capitol-riot/.
  15. Kuznia, Rob, Curt Devine, Nelli Black, and Drew Griffin. “Stop the Steal’s Massive Disinformation Campaign Connected to Roger Stone.” CNN. November 14, 2020. https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/13/business/stop-the-steal-disinformation-campaign-invs/index.html.
  16. Hayden, Michael Edison. “Law Firm Tied to Far-Right Fringe Registers Stop the Steal LLC in Alabama.” Southern Poverty Law Center. December 18, 2020. https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2020/12/18/law-firm-tied-far-right-fringe-registers-stop-steal-llc-alabama.
  17. Kuznia, Rob, Curt Devine, Nelli Black, and Drew Griffin. “Stop the Steal’s Massive Disinformation Campaign Connected to Roger Stone.” CNN. November 14, 2020. https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/13/business/stop-the-steal-disinformation-campaign-invs/index.html
  18. Hayden, Michael Edison. “Law Firm Tied to Far-Right Fringe Registers Stop the Steal LLC in Alabama.” Southern Poverty Law Center. December 18, 2020. https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2020/12/18/law-firm-tied-far-right-fringe-registers-stop-steal-llc-alabama.
  19. Kuznia, Rob, Curt Devine, Nelli Black, and Drew Griffin. “Stop the Steal’s Massive Disinformation Campaign Connected to Roger Stone.” CNN. November 14, 2020. https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/13/business/stop-the-steal-disinformation-campaign-invs/index.html.
  20. Frenkel, Sheera. “The Rise and Fall of the ‘Stop the Steal’ Facebook Group.” New York Times. November 5, 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/05/technology/stop-the-steal-facebook-group.html.
  21. Sollenberger, Roger. “Six Degrees of Sedition: Was Master Trickster Roger Stone behind the Capitol Riot?” Salon. January 29, 2021. https://www.salon.com/2021/01/29/six-degrees-of-sedition-was-master-trickster-roger-stone-behind-the-capitol-riot/.
  22. Burkhalter, Eddie. “Alabama AG Leads Nonprofit That Helped Organize March at Capitol.” Alabama Political Reporter. January 7, 2021. https://www.alreporter.com/2021/01/07/alabama-ag-leads-nonprofit-that-helped-organize-march-at-capitol/.
  23. Schwartz, Brian. “Pro-Trump Dark Money Groups Organized the Rally That Led to Deadly Capitol Hill Riot.” CNBC. April 9, 2021. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/09/pro-trump-dark-money-groups-organized-the-rally-that-led-to-deadly-capitol-hill-riot.html.
  24. Sollenberger, Roger. “Six Degrees of Sedition: Was Master Trickster Roger Stone behind the Capitol Riot?” Salon. January 29, 2021. https://www.salon.com/2021/01/29/six-degrees-of-sedition-was-master-trickster-roger-stone-behind-the-capitol-riot/.
  25. Sollenberger, Roger. “Six Degrees of Sedition: Was Master Trickster Roger Stone behind the Capitol Riot?” Salon. January 29, 2021. https://www.salon.com/2021/01/29/six-degrees-of-sedition-was-master-trickster-roger-stone-behind-the-capitol-riot/.
  26. Tolan, Casey. “Former Trump Campaign Staffers Worked on National Mall Rally the Day of the Capitol Riot.” CNN. January 19, 2021. https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/19/politics/capitol-riot-permits-trump-campaign-invs/index.html.
  27. Tolan, Casey. “Former Trump Campaign Staffers Worked on National Mall Rally the Day of the Capitol Riot.” CNN. January 19, 2021. https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/19/politics/capitol-riot-permits-trump-campaign-invs/index.html.
  28. Sapien, Joaquin, and Joshua Kaplan. “New Details Suggest Senior Trump Aides Knew Jan. 6 Rally Could Get Chaotic.” ProPublica. June 25, 2021. https://www.propublica.org/article/new-details-suggest-senior-trump-aides-knew-jan-6-rally-could-get-chaotic.
  29. Sapien, Joaquin, and Joshua Kaplan. “New Details Suggest Senior Trump Aides Knew Jan. 6 Rally Could Get Chaotic.” ProPublica. June 25, 2021. https://www.propublica.org/article/new-details-suggest-senior-trump-aides-knew-jan-6-rally-could-get-chaotic.
  30. Sapien, Joaquin, and Joshua Kaplan. “New Details Suggest Senior Trump Aides Knew Jan. 6 Rally Could Get Chaotic.” ProPublica. June 25, 2021. https://www.propublica.org/article/new-details-suggest-senior-trump-aides-knew-jan-6-rally-could-get-chaotic.
  31. Steakin, Will, John Santucci, and Katherine Folders. “Trump Allies Helped Plan, Promote Rally That Led to Capitol Attack.” ABC News. January 8, 2021. https://abcnews.go.com/US/trump-allies-helped-plan-promote-rally-led-capitol/story?id=75119209.
  32.  Hayden, Michael Edison. “Law Firm Tied to Far-Right Fringe Registers Stop the Steal LLC in Alabama.” Southern Poverty Law Center. December 18, 2020. https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2020/12/18/law-firm-tied-far-right-fringe-registers-stop-steal-llc-alabama.
  33. Sollenberger, Roger. “How Two Friends’ Farcical, Failed Schemes Ended with the Biggest Fail of ALL: Stop the Steal.” Salon. Salon.com, January 19, 2021. https://www.salon.com/2021/01/19/how-two-friends-farcical-failed-schemes-ended-with-the-biggest-fail-of-all-stop-the-steal/.
  34. Schreckinger, Ben. “Trump’s Culture Warriors Go Home.” POLITICO. 2018. https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/10/29/trump-cernovich-milo-yiannopoulos-richard-spencer-alt-right-2018-221916/.
  35. Sollenberger, Roger. “How Two Friends’ Farcical, Failed Schemes Ended with the Biggest Fail of ALL: Stop the Steal.” Salon. January 19, 2021. https://www.salon.com/2021/01/19/how-two-friends-farcical-failed-schemes-ended-with-the-biggest-fail-of-all-stop-the-steal/.
  36. Sollenberger, Roger. “How Two Friends’ Farcical, Failed Schemes Ended with the Biggest Fail of ALL: Stop the Steal.” Salon. January 19, 2021. https://www.salon.com/2021/01/19/how-two-friends-farcical-failed-schemes-ended-with-the-biggest-fail-of-all-stop-the-steal/.
  37. Breland, Ali. “Meet the Right-Wing Trolls behind ‘Stop The Steal.’” Mother Jones. November 7, 2020. https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2020/11/stop-the-steal/.
  38. Richardson, Davis. “Robert Mercer Bankrolled PAC Advised By Notorious Fringe ‘Philosopher’ Ali Alexander.” Observer. October 30, 2018. https://observer.com/2018/10/robert-mercer-bankrolled-pac-ali-alexander/.
  39. Breland, Ali. “Meet the Right-Wing Trolls behind ‘Stop The Steal.’” Mother Jones. November 7, 2020. https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2020/11/stop-the-steal/.
  40. Sollenberger, Roger. “How Two Friends’ Farcical, Failed Schemes Ended with the Biggest Fail of ALL: Stop the Steal.” Salon. January 19, 2021. https://www.salon.com/2021/01/19/how-two-friends-farcical-failed-schemes-ended-with-the-biggest-fail-of-all-stop-the-steal/.
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