North Dakota man who attacked Republican US Senator’s office with axe: ‘I am Antifa’

Thomas “Tas” Alexander Starks, 31, of Lisbon, N.D., was filmed on CCTV trying to break inside the office of Sen. John Hoeven’s in Fargo on Dec. 21, 2020, using an axe. In April, he pleaded guilty to a charge of destruction of government property. Federal sentencing guidelines suggested 10–16 months in prison but he was only sentenced to probation and fined $2,784 for restitution.

Recently Starks has taken to Facebook to brag about getting his axe back from the FBI.

Starks has also called for violence and has spread Antifa propaganda while posting under the Facebook moniker, “Paul Dunyan,” a reference to the axe-carrying folklore lumberjack Paul Bunyan.

Starks’ Facebook profile avatar depicts the Antifa red and black flag symbol along with the text, “Antifascist.” On Oct. 22, Starks posted the logo of the Antifascist Action along with the text “F— Around and Find Out,” and three axe emojis.

Back in July as Starks was awaiting sentencing, he wrote: “I am ANTIFA.

That isn’t Starks’ only reference to political violence. In April, he posted about using a rifle to “hunt fascists,” and also using soup cans as projectiles to assault police. During the Black Lives Matter-Antifa riots in Portland last year, Antifa militants carried frozen water bottles and canned food in their backpacks to use as projectiles against law enforcement.

Despite Starks’ violent extremism, mainstream Democrats in North Dakota have expressed support for him throughout the year.

After Starks was arrested, Democrat leaders in North Dakota donated to his legal defense fund, which raised thousands on GoFundMe. North Dakota Democratic-Nonpartisan League Party chairwoman Kylie Oversen, party executive Ellie Shockley and former lieutenant gubernatorial contender Ellen Chaffee all gave money to Starks. The North Dakota Democratic-Nonpartisan League Party is the name of the local affiliate of the Democrat Party. Starks is a member of the socialist Nonpartisan League Party and has campaigned with them at events.

 

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