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Person

James “Fergie” Chambers

Nationality:

American
Occupation:

Left-of-center Activist

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James Chambers, who goes by “Fergie Chambers,” is a member of the billionaire Cox family, the heirs to the Cox Enterprises cable company fortune. He is a self-identified communist and a major financial backer of radical-left extremist activism, including disruptive demonstrations against law enforcement, the United States government, and the state of Israel.

Chambers has, on numerous occasions, indicated his hatred of what he refers to as “white America,” people of European heritage, supporters of Israel, and alleged “Zionists.” In an Instagram post, he wrote, “We need to start making people who support Israel actually afraid to go out in public. We need to make all of white america [sic] afraid that everything they have stolen is going to be burned to the ground.” Chambers has had numerous run-ins with law enforcement for charges ranging from vandalism to drug possession to domestic battery. Many of his followers have been arrested for allegedly breaking windows and other acts of property damage during their demonstrations; Chambers has reportedly bankrolled both the activism and the legal costs for activists’ alleged criminal activities. 1 2

Chambers lives in New Hampshire, but has owned several hundred acres of land in Alford, Massachusetts, since 2019 to build a commune and training camp. Groups using the land include Chambers’ personal activist collective, the Berkshire Communists, and the funding arm for his projects, the Babochki Collective (from the Russian word for “butterfly”). Berkshire Communists calls itself a “revolutionary Marxist-Leninist collective” and has attracted attention in Alford, as well as nearby Great Barrington, for its activists’ disruptive protests and potential firearms stockpile at its residence on Chambers’ land. Residents of the area, as well as local community and government leaders, have voiced concerns about potential violence by members of the commune. 3

Political Ideology

James “Fergie” Chambers identifies as a communist of the “revolutionary Marxist-Leninist” variety. He is antagonistic toward those on the left who he considers to be insufficiently militant, and has stated that people “vaguely calling for peace and love” give him “actual bloodlust.” One group he explicitly criticized was Jewish Voice for Peace, a pro-Palestinian Jewish organization that has criticized Israeli policies towards Palestinians. 4 He has repeatedly called for destructive militant activity against the United States. In an Instagram post, he wrote, “We need to start making people who support Israel actually afraid to go out in public. We need to make all of white america [sic] afraid that everything they have stolen is going to be burned to the ground.”  5 He has also written that he wished to “f[***] America in its dead, rotting face.” Other targets for his anti-American stance include military and law enforcement personnel, private property owners, and “capitalists.” 6

In addition, Chambers supports the destruction of the state of Israel and the violent persecution of its supporters, real or perceived: he has for “making people who support Israel actually afraid to go out in public” and voiced an aspiration that “in the future there will be no Israelis.” 7

Chambers has urged the radical left to own firearms. He also told a local newspaper, which was covering residents’ concerns about Chambers related to his posts and gun ownership, that his language was “not advocating for any form of violence.” The same article highlighted Chambers’ belief that learning how to use firearms can help left-wing activists stand up against conservative organizations and police. 8

Family

James “Fergie” Chambers is the son of Jim Cox Chambers, one of the heirs to the Cox Enterprises fortune worth more than $30 billion. Jim Chambers, who reportedly has a net worth of at least $4 billion himself, is the chairman of Bard College in Red Hook, New York, and the co-owner of the Atlanta Hawks basketball team. Jim is married to the daughter of the late Saudi billionaire businessman and arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi. Jim Chambers and most of his family hold left-of-center political views, according to a December 2023 report in The Free Press. 9

Fergie Chambers has come into conflict with his father and other relatives, most notably over law-enforcement funding. Fergie’s cousin Alex Chambers, the chief executive officer of Cox Enterprises, is the honorary chairman of the Atlanta, Georgia, police fund and the lead fundraiser for the city’s planned law-enforcement training facility, which has become a target for local left-wing extremist-linked groups such as the Atlanta Solidarity Fund. In May 2023, Fergie brought several anti-police protesters, including his own daughter, to disrupt the commencement ceremony at Bard College, where his father was speaking. Later that year, Fergie finalized his planned separation from the Cox family enterprise and sold his shares of the company, reportedly receiving more than $250 million. 10 11

After receiving his portion of his family’s wealth, Fergie told the New York Post that his family was “all about maintaining dynasty,” and said his family “is a rotten capitalism firm like the rest of them.” 12

Activism Backing

James “Fergie” Chambers makes much of his political and advocacy spending without going through any established philanthropic entity, limiting disclosures, though he does funnel some of his money through his Babochki Collective. He has been open about his support for several pro-Palestinian and anti-Israeli groups. These includes the Middle East Children’s Alliance and Samidoun, which also works to conduct boycotts and harassment against alleged pro-Israel businesses, universities, and other institutions. 13

Following the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel by the Palestinian militant group Hamas and the subsequent Israeli military invasion of the Gaza Strip, Chambers has expanded to cover legal fees for members of Palestine Action US, a militant direct-action anti-Israel group based in the United States, which uses vandalism and intimidation tactics against institutions that appear to support Israel. In addition, the Washington Free Beacon has identified Chambers as a spokesman for the group. 14

Chambers has also provided funding to anti-law-enforcement activists in Atlanta, Georgia, including hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal-defense and bail-fund costs for protesters engaging in civil unrest and violence. 15

Axios reported that Chambers’ actions, especially his $600,000 donation, were notable because of his family’s significant business interests in the city; Cox Enterprises is Atlanta’s “largest private company” and owns the Atlanta-Journal Constitution newspaper. 16

Fergie Chambers has admitted to using heroin as a teenager and cooking crack cocaine in college, which led to a leave of absence. Years later, he was arrested for alleged domestic battery, reportedly after an alcohol and drug binge. He has also been charged with marijuana possession while on probation for other offenses. During his time living in Atlanta, Georgia, he was arrested after taking a psychedelic substance and wandering outside his house unclothed. In a social-media post, he claimed that he had “harmed no one” and attacked the local police department for allegedly lacking sufficient “mental health response” resources. He also called his detention and a $1,000 fine a “ruthless” and “violent” punishment. 17 18

References

  1. Suzy Weiss. “He’s Got $250 Million to Spend on Communist Revolution.” The Free Press. December 4, 2023. Accessed December 10, 2023. https://www.thefp.com/p/hes-got-250-million-to-spend-on-communist
  2. Shaw Israel Izikson. “Berkshire Communists group leader makes threats to harm people, anti-Semitic comments via Instagram accounts.” Berkshire Eagle. November 13, 2023. Accessed December 10, 2023. https://theberkshireedge.com/berkshire-communists-group-leader-makes-threats-to-harm-people-anti-semitic-comments-via-instagram-accounts/
  3. Suzy Weiss. “He’s Got $250 Million to Spend on Communist Revolution.” The Free Press. December 4, 2023. Accessed December 10, 2023. https://www.thefp.com/p/hes-got-250-million-to-spend-on-communist
  4. Shaw Israel Izikson. “Berkshire Communists group leader makes threats to harm people, anti-Semitic comments via Instagram accounts.” Berkshire Eagle. November 13, 2023. Accessed December 10, 2023.

    https://theberkshireedge.com/berkshire-communists-group-leader-makes-threats-to-harm-people-anti-semitic-comments-via-instagram-accounts/

  5. Shaw Israel Izikson. “Berkshire Communists group leader makes threats to harm people, anti-Semitic comments via Instagram accounts.” Berkshire Eagle. November 13, 2023. Accessed December 10, 2023. https://theberkshireedge.com/berkshire-communists-group-leader-makes-threats-to-harm-people-anti-semitic-comments-via-instagram-accounts/
  6. Suzy Weiss. “He’s Got $250 Million to Spend on Communist Revolution.” The Free Press. December 4, 2023. Accessed December 10, 2023. https://www.thefp.com/p/hes-got-250-million-to-spend-on-communist
  7. Suzy Weiss. “He’s Got $250 Million to Spend on Communist Revolution.” The Free Press. December 4, 2023. Accessed December 10, 2023. https://www.thefp.com/p/hes-got-250-million-to-spend-on-communist
  8. Heather Bellow, “Young. Communist. Gun-owner. Multimillionaire. Pro-Palestine. Pro-Hamas. Berkshire landowner. Meet James ‘Fergie’ Chambers.” The Berkshire Eagle. November 16, 2023. Accessed December 11, 2023. https://www.berkshireeagle.com/news/local/james-fergie-chambers-cox-media-berkshire-communists-alford-hamas-antisemitism-israel-palestine/article_87042bcc-7fd5-11ee-99c1-5ff7316e4530.html
  9. Suzy Weiss. “He’s Got $250 Million to Spend on Communist Revolution.” The Free Press. December 4, 2023. Accessed December 10, 2023. https://www.thefp.com/p/hes-got-250-million-to-spend-on-communist
  10. Suzy Weiss. “He’s Got $250 Million to Spend on Communist Revolution.” The Free Press. December 4, 2023. Accessed December 10, 2023. https://www.thefp.com/p/hes-got-250-million-to-spend-on-communist
  11. Kiara Alfonseca et al. “’Cop City’ vote: Atlanta City Council approves funding for controversial project.” ABC News. June 6, 2023. Accessed December 10, 2023. https://abcnews.go.com/US/atlanta-city-council-vote-budget-called-cop-city/story?id=99838332
  12. Shannon Thaler, “Cox heir slams capitalism after securing ‘hundreds of millions’ from family,” New York Post, July 6, 2023. Accessed December 11, 2023. https://nypost.com/2023/07/06/cox-media-heir-slams-capitalism-after-securing-millions/
  13. Suzy Weiss. “He’s Got $250 Million to Spend on Communist Revolution.” The Free Press. December 4, 2023. Accessed January 8, 2024. https://www.thefp.com/p/hes-got-250-million-to-spend-on-communist
  14. Jessica Costescu. “He’s a Communist Trust Fund Baby Who Inherited Millions. Now, He’s Using Daddy’s Money To Harass Jews.” The Washington Free Beacon. November 14, 2023. Accessed December 10, 2023. https://freebeacon.com/israel/hes-a-communist-trust-fund-baby-who-inherited-millions-now-hes-using-daddys-money-to-harass-jews/
  15. Suzy Weiss. “He’s Got $250 Million to Spend on Communist Revolution.” The Free Press. December 4, 2023. Accessed December 10, 2023. https://www.thefp.com/p/hes-got-250-million-to-spend-on-communist
  16. Thomas Wheatley, “’Stop Cop City’ petition drive backed by big bucks,” Axios, July 19, 2023. Accessed December 11, 2023. https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2023/07/19/cop-city-james-fergie-chambers-cox-atlanta
  17. Suzy Weiss. “He’s Got $250 Million to Spend on Communist Revolution.” The Free Press. December 4, 2023. Accessed December 10, 2023. https://www.thefp.com/p/hes-got-250-million-to-spend-on-communist
  18. Jim Fergie Chambers. “I debated about posting this…” Facebook. Accessed December 10, 2023. https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iwZz7y4tugA/V79skcQF6rI/AAAAAAAAKfY/nawX6xTQkKkl4LZ15HJowOY56yv2gEyMgCLcB/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-08-25%2Bat%2B6.08.46%2BPM.png
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