A Donald Trump supporter charged with allegedly breaching the Capitol during last month’s insurrection was turned in by his ex-girlfriend after federal officials say he texted that she was a “moron” if she couldn’t “see the election was stolen.”
Pennsylvania resident Richard Michetti is now facing charges of knowingly entering a restricted building, violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, and obstruction of justice and Congress, according to a February 17 criminal complaint against him.
The day after the insurrection, Michetti’s unidentified ex-girlfriend informed law enforcement of several text messages and two videos that he had apparently sent her from inside the Capitol, according to an FBI statement of fact submitted in court.
Michetti repeated conspiracy theories about the election, talked about the chaos inside the Capitol — and insulted his ex, according to the court records.
“If you can’t see the election was stolen you’re a moron,” Michetti reportedly texted her late in the afternoon of January 6.
Later, he fantasised: “The election was rigged and everyone knows it” ... and “gotta stop the vote.”
According to the court records, Michetti texted earlier: “It’s going down here, we stormed the building they held us back with spray and teargas and paintballs.”
Michetti’s ex also identified him in a photo sent to the FBI tip line as the agency sought the public’s help in naming Capitol insurrectionists, according to the statement of fact. He is one of some 268 people facing charges in connection with the storming of the Capitol.
Michetti was arraigned Tuesday in US District Court in Philadelphia and released on unsecured bail with electronic monitoring, The Morning Call reported. He’s scheduled to appear in US District Court in Washington via video on Monday.