The hallowed halls of our government lay under siege from a far-right cult led by a self-proclaimed apostle, and a handful of loosely assembled, related fringe groups.
This threat has established itself in state party politics and now seeks to use that position to establish a foothold in the state Senate.
Daniel Navejas is the 3rd Congressional District chair for the Oklahoma Republican Party, yet his allegiance is less than stellar. He has continued to call Oklahoma Speaker of the House Charles McCall, Senate Pro Temp Greg Treat, Representative Garry Mize and others RINOs (Republican In Name Only), jokers, and other members of the legislature derogatory terms.
Navejas has called for a litmus test to be established and the line be drawn at the total abolition of all abortions - with no exceptions. Under the test established by Navejas and his followers on social media, there are only “about four Republicans” elected to the Oklahoma State House according to a recent post. The state Republican Party currently recognizes 77 of the 101 members of the House of Representatives as Republicans.
While the term RINO may be hard to define, one can imagine that a majority of Oklahomans would not count their elected representative as RINOs.
Perhaps someone should remind Navejas of President Reagan’s 11th Commandment, “Thou shalt not speak ill of another Republican.”
For more than three months now, the Ledger has followed the 1212 Mockingbird cult and its leader, and our findings should certainly give pause to every Oklahoman.
Kenny Bob Tapp
Southwest Ledger first became aware of the group when they actively supported Kenny Bob Tapp, a Republican candidate running to replace incumbent state Representative Kenton Patzkowsky (HD 61) in the Oklahoma Panhandle. During his candidacy challenge, Tapp testified in front of the State Ethics Commission (during his candidacy challenge) that he spends 80-90% of his time in Colorado and that his guns, clothes, and other possessions are in Colorado. An official in Colorado even testified that he considers Tapp a resident of Colorado.
We investigated this story because of the greater statewide impact.
A multitude of candidates
We quickly learned that there was much more at stake than a single House district.
Navejas and the 1212 Mockingbird group were supporting nearly 20 candidates. A complete list was never published, as many lists published by the group left off state Senate candidate George Burns and others.
In the case of Burns, Hannah Silk, Senator Joseph Silk’s sister, a close ally and strong supporter of the group, endorsed Burns. Burns publicly posted on social media that he would have voted for SB 13, the anti-abortion bill that would have subjected women, doctors and all other to possible murder charges and a death sentence if they received or performed an abortion – even to save the life of the mother.
As we investigated the group’s activities, we spoke to numerous Republicans who labeled them a ‘cult,’ spoke of strange antics and untraditional tactics that made many feel uneasy. We found that at one point, recently, there were 14 adults registered to vote from the four-bedroom house in Guthrie. The house was also listed as the registered address for several churches and businesses.
While the Guthrie house may have led many in Oklahoma to label them a ‘cult’, one political operative told the Ledger the house served as a means for them to take over the Logan County Republican Party and the Ledger was able to confirm that associate pastor and fellow housemate, Kyle Brown, did use the Guthrie house address when he registered to vote.
Brown currently serves as the chair of the Logan County Republican Party. Another individual stated that the compound was founded for religious reasons and said that the group believes in “sharing each other’s burdens” and have “misunderstood the Book of Acts.”
The attack on us
The more journalists we assigned, investigated, and tried to understand the group, the more our staff came under attack. The group has repeatedly referred to our work as “fake news,” and gone as far as to tell our staff that they prayed for our “hastened death” and that we will “suffer at sword.”
We continued to assign veteran journalists and refused to be intimidated. Our team has a combined experience of over 200 years and have covered scandals at the highest level of state government. All of them stated they would not be intimidated by the group and expressed a desire to see the story through.
Navejas’ extreme views
Despite the affiliation with the state party, the group’s views are considered extreme by the vast majority of Oklahoma Republicans. In fact, the Ledger could not find a single representative of the Republican Party to go on record in support of them.
Their beliefs include nullification (the act of a State invalidating a federal law), and more than a few of their followers have argued for secession. They believe the State should pass Senate Bill 13, a bill that would have eliminated all abortions with no exceptions. Many of the top legal minds in Oklahoma have expressed the belief that the law was unconstitutional and would not be upheld in court.
The group believes that no issue should be taken up until Oklahoma is an abortion-free state.
They liken IVF (invitro fertilization) to abortion, railing against contraceptives and believe the government should regulate a host of other moral issues.
Navejas, leader of the organization, appears to utilize church resources to fund his political endeavors – everything from producing videos to hosting fundraisers for political candidates. His willingness to defy the state’s ethics rules should give us all pause.
So, you might be wondering, if they are so extreme, are they really a threat?
One high-ranking member of state government described them as “a danger to functioning government.”
They currently have at least one confirmed candidate running for state senate, Warren Hamilton, who is challenging incumbent Senator Larry Boggs (SD 5) in the August runoff.
The 1212 Mockingbird group, who officially go by the Ekkleisia of Oklahoma officially nearly 20 candidates during the Primaries but unofficially and to a lesser stance, assisted many other candidates across Oklahoma.
Big city tactics
Recently, the Ekkleisia attempted to use sordid, big-city tactics to create havoc and intimidate Senator Boggs at a county party meeting. They traveled more than 170 miles and some two and a half hours from their home in Guthrie to disrupt a routine monthly county GOP meeting.
Repent, Repent, Repent
They made this pilgrimage for the sole purpose of calling out Senator Boggs concerning SB 13. Navejas berated Sen. Boggs and continually called on him to “repent.”
Navejas then went beyond political rhetoric and bickering to file a complaint with local law enforcement, claiming that Boggs “verbally attacked” him and “attempted to put his hands on me.” Yet, he concluded his statement by saying that Boggs was “weak and feeble.”
A fellow Republican who was in attendance that night told the Ledger, “it was a setup from the start ... Daniel (Navejas) wanted to say he was weak but also threatening. He concluded that it might be good theater, but it isn’t good politics.”
Boggs then asked Navejas to take it outside. The Senator has repeatedly said he was raised that telling someone to take it outside was a means to defuse the situation and get everyone to take a step back. He said he did not mean it as a threat and he certainly didn’t want to fight Navejas, but that he was going to stand up for his constituents.
Personally, I am a few years younger than Boggs and, in my upbringing, that phrase meant, “Is this ditch worth dyin’ over?” I can’t say I would have handled it differently.
Christian Values
Now, my father dreamt of becoming a pastor. He completed numerous classes towards the goal, but joined the military at a young age, became a cop and then a bail bondsman. My mother was in banking before meeting my father and later became a bail agent herself.
I was raised somewhere between the courthouse and the church, and, until I was 21, I thought I was destined to preach the Gospel. I haven’t always lived up to the standards that my parents taught me. I haven’t always lived up to my standards, but in the 27 years since I was baptized before God and my church, I haven’t slept a wink without sending a prayer to my Lord and Savior.
The thought of someone saying I am not Christian enough, and that I needed to repent, or that I am a baby killer is not just upsetting, but provoking. When you attack a man’s faith, his personal relationship with God, you are attacking his upbringing, his family, and the very fiber of that man.
I am a Christian, a sixth-generation American, a fourth-generation Oklahoman, a journalist and a registered Democrat.
I am pro-life
Now, I am, by most standards, pro-life.
But I believe abortion is a complex issue with a myriad of nuances. My own personal views have evolved over the years, advocating for more and more restrictions as the years pass. I have always left room for at least a minimum amount of exceptions, including rape, incest, and the life of the mother. But it wasn’t until I became responsible for the moral compass of a young lady that my position became fully developed.
If my daughter’s life were in peril, if decisions had to be made – would I want the government to stand between her, her husband and the doctor? Do I want to surrender that power to a faceless government, or would I rather trust that she or she and her husband would seek God’s wisdom and make the best choice for all involved?
God forbid if my daughter was raped and became pregnant. Who should get to make the next choice?
A call to action
I write this to ask for your assistance. Please do not allow our state government to be besieged by this radical, far-right group. Please stand between them and litmus tests for who is and is not a Republican, and who is and is not a Christian.
Please stand and be counted in the fight for our future.
This isn’t about Senator Boggs versus Warren Hamilton or George Burns but rather our future.
I urge you to take notice of this group, read their postings, watch their videos. See for yourself to what lengths this faction is willing to go in order to govern everyone else’s morality.
This is not just a stand against anti-abortionists and their backing of politicians across the state.
This is a call to action.
Essentially, this group has stated they are willing to throw the government into gridlock, willing to forsake education, economic development and everything in between until complete abolitionist is accomplished. No more, abortions – even if it meant saving the life of the mother, no more IVF.
They are willing to secede from the Union to meet their objective and destroy the foundation that makes the United States the great country it has become.
I urge you to withhold your support from the 1212 Mockingbird consortium and the candidates they are trying to put in place. Reject this group’s unwavering agenda.